CIRCULAR 20 August 1998

1. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MoU)
   
   
   • 1.1 Please find attached with this Circular a fifth draft of the MoU incorporating comments received from members. Comments were received from Canada, Republic of China, Hong Kong China, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and USA and are attached for reference.
     
   • 1.2 We would appreciate receiving final comments on this draft by 30 September.
   
   
2. POSITION OF CONVENOR AND SECRETARIAT
   
   
   • 2.1 When the APLMF was established in November 1994, it was proposed that Mr J Birch would remain Convenor for four years and Australia provide the Secretariat for this period.
     
   • 2.2 At the forthcoming meeting in Seoul, we should be transferring responsibility for the Convenor and Secretariat to another economy. However, there has been concern that due to the present economic uncertainty in a number of economies in East and South East Asia, this may not be an appropriate time for the transfer.
     
   • 2.3 The issue has been discussed by the Convenor with the Forum Executive Committee - Mr Johnston (Canada), Dr Imai (Japan) and Dr Aton (Malaysia). Whilst it has been Mr Birch's intention to retire after the Fifth Forum meeting, he has agreed to a request by the National Standards Commission to stay on for a further twelve months and would be available to continue as Forum Convenor for this period.
     
   • 2.4 Funding
     The Convenor and Executive Committee also discussed funding of the Secretariat. Over the past four years, the Australian Government has provided the funding for the Secretariat. However, it was felt that consideration should be given to this issue.
   • 2.5 Three options were considered:
     
     • The economy which accepts responsibility for providing the Convenor and Secretariat will also provide all the funding for this issue;
     • Forum agree to introduce a membership fee at the 1999 Forum aimed at raising $US20,000 towards the costs of the Secretariat and using a modified OIML formula.
     • Forum members be asked to make voluntary contributions to a sustaining fund for the Secretariat.
   • 2.6 The Executive Committee believes that Option (ii) is the most practical and a proposed formula could be arrived at in the following way.
     The OIML formula is based on four categories and the fee for each category is twice the fee for the next lowest category. It is suggested that APLMF have three categories based on the OIML formula of population and economic development. This could result in the following annual fee structure.
     
     • Category 1 - one unit each
     • Chile, Hong Kong China, Indonesia,
     • Laos PDR, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia,
     • New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru,
     • Philippines, Singapore,
     • Thailand, Vietnam (14)
     • Total 14 units
       
     • Category 2 - 2 units each
     • Australia, Canada, People's Republic of China,
     • Republic of Korea, Russia,
     • Chinese Taipei (6)
     • Total 12 units
       
     • Category 3 - 4 units each
     • Japan, USA (2)
     • Total 8 units
       
     ------------------------------------------
     Total: 14 + 12 + 8 = 34 units
     ------------------------------------------
     Calculation
     
     34 units for $US20,000
     One unit equals $US588.24
     14 economies in Category 1 of 1 unit $US588.24 $US8235.36
     6 economies in Category 2 of 2 units $US1176.48 $US7058.88
     2 economies in Category 3 of 4 units $US2352.96 $US4705.92
     Total: $US20,000.16
     
   • 2.7 Draft Recommendations
     
     • Australia be requested to retain the Convenorship and Secretariat of the Forum until the 1999 Forum meeting.
     • Membership fees be introduced at the 1999 Forum, to raise $US20,000 annually to provide part funding of the Secretariat.
     • Member economies be requested to indicate at the 1998 Forum in Seoul whether they would be interested in accepting responsibility for the Convenor and Secretariat from 1999.
   • 2.8 The Convenor and Executive Committee would appreciate receiving your comments as soon as possible on the above recommendations and discussion of the issue.
   
   
3. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
   
   
   • 3.1 The Secretariat has received a request from the Director of the Centre for the Control of Quality and metrology (CCQM) in Colombia to become a member of the Forum. Whilst Colombia is not an APEC economy it is on the Pacific Rim and its membership of the Forum will be considered at the Fifth Forum meeting.
   
   
4. MUTUAL RECOGNITION
   
   
   • 4.1 The "Mutual Agreement on OIML Pattern Evaluations" developed at the meeting in Washington in April was distributed to all Forum members with Circular 19. This could form the basis of an APLMF Mutual Recognition Agreement. However, it should not be restricted to only those economies that can perform all OIML tests. Forum members with limited test facilities should be able to be recognised for their competence in these tests and participate to this extent in the APLMF Mutual Recognition Agreement.
   
   
5. FIFTH APLMF MEETING - SEOUL, REPUBLIC OF KOREA Radisson Seoul Plaza Hotel, 25 - 27 October 1998
   
   
   • 5.1 We have received further information from members on attendance at the Fifth Forum in Seoul. Todate, thirty nine delegates have indicated attendance. In addition, it is expected that the Republic of Korea will be inviting participation from industry and other organisations to the Forum meetings. The economies attending are:
     
     Australia (4), Canada (2), Republic of China (3), Indonesia (2), Japan (4), Republic of Korea (6), Lao PDR (1), Malaysia (2), Mongolia (1), New Zealand (1), Papua New Guinea (1), Philippines (1), Chinese Taipei (4), Thailand (1), USA (2) and Vietnam (4).
     
     
   • 5.2 We would appreciate receiving information from those member economies who have not informed the Secretariat of their attendance, to do so as soon as possible.
     
     
   • 5.3 In addition, we would like to remind members that they are to required to book their hotel accommodation themselves by 30 September. The Hotel Reservation Forms have been included in the "OIML/APLMF Information" (yellow colour) sent with Circular 19 in July.
     
6. DIRECTORY OF LEGAL METROLOGY IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC 1998 SECOND EDITION
   
   
   • 6.1 The above Directory has been published and we are pleased to include two complimentary copies for your information. If you would like additional copies, please inform the Secretariat.
     
7. APLMF WORKSHOPS IN SHANGHAI, 31 AUGUST - 10 SEPTEMBER 1998 on Implementation of OIML R76 and Introduction to High Capacity Weighing
   
   The above workshop and training course will be held as scheduled in Shanghai. Twenty eight participants from sixteen economies will be attending.
   
8. NEWS FROM MEMBERS
   
   Once again, the secretariat would like to invite member economies to send any news items on development in legal metrology in their economy for publication in the Circulars.