ACF Approves Myanmar Membership

• 27 August 2016
• International News
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After two years of protracted negotiation, the ASEAN Contractors Federation (ACF) has finally admitted Myanmar as a member of the regional association at its 41st council meeting.

Convened at Bangkok, Thailand on 3 June, 2016, the assembly admitted the Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association (MCEA), representing the building industry of Myanmar as its eighth member.

The MCEA was established in 1996 and became a civil society social association registered with the nation’s Ministry of Home Affairs. Initially established with 150 members, it has grown to currently include 1,650 members.

The association has played an active role in construction developments nationwide, evolving the development of economic, social and civil sectors as well as working to assure peoples’ ownership of housing facilities.

Laos has also indicated its interest in joining the ACF, but could only attend the 41st meeting as an observer. While the Thai Contractors Association (TCA) has been assigned to bring Laos into the federation, it is expected that this landlocked nation will become the ninth member following the expected establishment of its own national contractor association.

Brunei Darussalam’s membership seems to need more time since it does not have a contractors association and has not yet expressed great interest in joining the federation.

Jointly organised by the ACF and the Thai Contractors Association, the council meeting discussed various issues arising in the region.

First, they moved a big step towards the ACSTST Program; an effort to train construction workers in ASEAN to single standards. The Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL) reported that it had found consultants to develop the Train the Trainer and Module 1 would cost about USD15, 000.

After much deliberation, six countries confirmed they will each undertake to roll out the Train the Trainer program with their own funding. They are: PCA on Formwork, SCAL on Reinforcement Bar, MBAM on Structural Steel, VACC on Tiling, ICA on Plastering, and TCA for Brick Laying. The Cambodian Constructors Association (CCA) has not yet proposed its training program.

The ACF has pushed to speed up this program to harmonise construction-related skills within ASEAN countries and has requested that members undertake respective courses to submit the revised program and module to ACF for review and approval.

The proposed ACF Directory, which will list all companies registered with each ACF member countries in ASEAN, is also progressing well. The SCAL has already firmed up advertisers and requested all members to submit their association profile and background for the ACF directory by end of June 2016 and to indicate how many copies they require.

The council meeting also announced that the 42nd ACF meeting will be held this year at Naypyidaw, Myanmar.

On the sidelines of the submit, a special seminar was also organised under the theme, “Comparative Analysis of How Each Country Regulates Constructors Business” presented by Dr. Ponn Virulrak, who received a grant from the Royal Thai Government to conduct a study on the Construction Business Regulations of all ASEAN countries.

The ACF Chairman, Mr. Ng Yek Meng admitted that the ASEAN Economic Community is missing its deadline for full integration and believes the ACF is a key platform to propel the region’s integration.

“Economic slowdown or not, the ACF remains a platform for us to share and learn from each other. We need to continue harnessing new design and construction technology to improve productivity,” he said.

Mr. Ng went on to say that to protect the environment, all members should also join with the rest of the world to adopt a greener and more sustainable way of construction to build and develop our cities. He asked for closer cooperation so as to organise relevant exhibitions, seminars and conferences together to benefit all members.

The ASEAN Constructors Federation was established on 30 May 1985 and has been holding two annual council member meetings for 31 consecutive years wherein council members discuss business matters arising in the ASEAN construction industry.

Its eight constructors associations representing the private construction-related companies in ASEAN are: Cambodia Constructors Association (CCA), Indonesian Constructors Association (ICA), Master Builders Association of Malaysia (MBAM), Philippine Constructors Association (PCA), Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), Thai Contractors Association (TCA), Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors (VACC) and Myanmar Construction Entrepreneurs Association (MCEA).

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