Trade and Investment Division
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)


Trade and Investment Policies for the Development
of the Information and Communication Technology Sector
of the Greater Mekong Subregion
(ST/ESCAP/2336)




CONTENTS


Preface

PART ONE

REGIONAL TRADE IN INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY GOODS AND
SERVICES IN THE GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION: CURRENT SITUATION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
  1. Introduction and background
    1. Socio-economic background of the four GMS
      countries studied
    2. Trade and investment regime
  2. Regional trade in information and communication
    technology goods in the Greater Mekong Subregion
    1. Global trade in ICT goods
    2. Trade in ICT goods in GMS
    3. Trade barriers and international trade commitments
  3. Regional trade in ICT services in GMS
    1. Trends in telecommunication markets and regimes
    2. Telecommunication markets in GMS
    3. Current status of telecommunication liberalization
    4. Markets structures and regulations
    5. International trade commitments
    6. Estimated benefits from liberalization
  4. Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
    1. Promotion of trade in ICT goods
    2. Promotion of trade in telecommunication services
    3. Promote regional cooperation
    References
    Annexes
    1. Major experts and imports of ICT goods in each
      GMS country
    2. The e-ASEAN framework agreement
    3. WTO's reference paper on basic telecommunications
PART TWO

DEVELOPMENT OF ENABLIING POLICIES FOR
TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN THE INFORMATION
AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY SECTOR
OF THE GREATER MEKONG SUBREGION
  1. Introduction
    1. Rationale of the study
    2. ICT and development
    3. Returns to ICT use
    4. Pillars of information technology
    5. Promoting ICT use and production: the role of trade
      and investment
    6. Linkages between trade and investment: the case
      of ICT
    7. Limits to trade and investment policies
    8. Trade agreements on ICT goods: e-ASEAN
      Framework Agreement and the Information
      Technology Agreement
    9. Outline of the study
  2. Cambodia
    1. Country background and policies governing ICT use
      and production
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Human resource development in ICT
    4. Trade and investment in the ICT: policies, performance
      and prospects
  3. Lao People's Democratic Republic
    1. Country background and policies governing ICT
      Use and production
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Human resource development in ICT
    4. Trade and investment in ICT: policies, performance
      and prospects
  4. Myanmar
    1. Country background and policies governing ICT
      use and production
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Human resource development in ICT
    4. Trade and investment in ICT: policies, performance
      and prospects
  5. Thailand
    1. Country background and policies governing ICT
      use and production
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Human capital for information technology
    4. Trade and investment in ICT: policies, performance
      and challenges
  6. Viet Nam
    1. Country background and policies governing ICT
      use and production
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Human resource development for ICT
    4. Trade and investment in ICT: policies, performance
      and prospects
  7. Yunnan Province of China
    1. Background
    2. Growth performance of the Yunnan economy: an explanatory analysis
    3. Current state of ICT production
    4. Human capital base for information technology
    5. Towards a more open trade and investment regime
  8. Concluding observations and reflections on policy
    1. Policy initiatives and institutional interventions
    2. Current state of ICT use and production
    3. Trade and investment in ICT: policies, performance
      and prospects
    References
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Last updated: 5 October 2004