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Singapore & Malaysia seals Telecom Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) 
Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 02:06 PM

The IDA issued a statement on 28 January 2005 that Singapore and Malaysia has sealed the third ASEAN1 Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for telecommunications equipment. This further enhances bilateral trade between the two countries.

The signing marks the commitment by both sides to recognise each other's equipment conformity testing processes by removing duplicative testing procedures and reducing the cost and time required to bring telecommunications equipment into both markets.

The agreement was signed by the Director-General (Telecommunications) of the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Mr Leong Keng Thai and the Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Dato' V. Danapalan. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Singapore's Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts, Dr. Lee Boon Yang and Malaysia's Minister of Energy, Water and Communications, Dr. Lim Keng Yaik.

The MRA aims to boost market access opportunities for telecommunications equipment exporters from both countries and make telecommunications equipment more affordable and accessible to consumers. Telecommunications equipment companies can also expect to shave off up to S$1,200 per model and will be able get their products to market up to 30 days earlier when the MRA is implemented.

Typically, telecommunications equipment needs to be tested to the requirements of the receiving country before it can be certified and approved for sale. Under today's bilateral agreement, Singapore and Malaysia will first accept equipment test reports issued by accredited test laboratories recognised by each country. This particular agreement covers telecommunications equipment such as radio, GSM, ISDN and PSTN2equipment. This is known as Phase I of the bilateral MRA. In Phase II, countries will accept equipment which is compliant to the technical specifications of each country, as certified by independent certification bodies.

This bilateral initiative arose from the last ASEAN TELMIN3 3 Ministerial meeting held in Singapore in September 2003. At this meeting, member countries agreed to expedite the implementation of the MRAs for telecommunications equipment conformity testing by 2005.

This is the third such bilateral agreement under the auspices of the umbrella ASEAN MRA. Similar negotiations were launched between Singapore and Indonesia in April 2004 and between Singapore and Brunei Darussalam in May 2004.