Does AFAS have bite? Comparing services trade commitments with actual practice

The paper reviews the commitments achieved so far in selected sectors under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS), and compares these commitments with actual regulatory practice. The aim is to identify whether significant services trade liberalization has been achieved in reality, rather than merely on paper. The paper also identifies the sticking points, and assesses whether current services trade restrictions remain uncommitted because of sectoral sensitivities, features of the negotiating framework, or gaps in the broader regulatory environment. In each of the sectors examined, there are examples of all three problems. The paper concludes with suggestions for additional directions that could be taken and negotiating strategies that could be employed to deal with these problems, and thus accelerate the reform process towards an ASEAN Economic Community.