Smart Cards For Business Travel

The cards, which could in some cases replace visas as well as expedite businessmen's passage between Apec countries, could be available as early as November.

The plan, designed to improve trade ties between Apec countries, was put forward by Australia and strongly embraced by several countries, including Thailand, Singapore, South Korea and the Philippines.

This basically will be in lieu of a visa and there will be an accreditation system in which businessmen will be certified by their own economies and the names forwarded to other economies,'' said Antonio Basilio, chairman of the senior officials' meeting.

The idea was that once these cards are issued the businessmen just breeze through customs and immigration, the card is swiped to a card reader and all the information will be there. Acceptance of the smartcard'' visa followed talks on the more detailed individual action plans (IAPs) on trade liberalisation.