The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) and National Statistics Office (NSO) will host the second meeting of the Working Group on Statistics (WGS) of the ASEAN Economic Ministers-MITI Japan Economic and Industrial Cooperation Committee (AMEICC) to be held on June 5-6, 2003 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

The meeting shall serve as a venue for discussing the development and harmonization of industrial and commercial statistics in the ASEAN Region and setting up of a regional network of ASEAN contact persons for the WGS and an INFO Bank by the ASEAN Secretariat. Participating countries will also share the practices observed by their national statistical offices in collaborating with the private sector for the collection of industrial and commercial statistics.

The meeting is organized and sponsored by the Japan Overseas Development Corporation (JODC) which serves as the AMEICC Secretariat. The meeting will be participated in by representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and Member Countries, JODC, and United Nations Industrial Development Organization. A number of observers from concerned Philippine government agencies and private institutions will also attend the meeting.

The focal persons for the WGS second meeting are Director Francisco K. Mallion or Ms. Leticia D. de Leon of the NSCB at telephone number (632)-890-9404, telefax number (632)-895-2436 and email address fk.mallion@nscb.gov.ph / ld.deleon@nscb.gov.ph and Director Estela J. de Guzman or Ms. Lourdes V. Homecillo of the NSO at telephone number (632)-715-650, fax number (632)-713-7071 and email address E.deGuzman@mail.census.gov.ph/ L.Homecillo@mail.census.gov.ph.