JAKARTA, 10 December 2020 – Yesterday, the ASEAN Secretariat organised an online Focus Group Discussion with ASEAN business representatives as part of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 Mid-Term Review exercise.
Over fifteen representatives from ASEAN Business Advisory Council, ASEAN Women Entrepreneurs Network, and ASEAN Future Workforce Council attended the discussions, as well as relevant ASEAN Secretariat staff members.
The Focus Group Discussion aimed at drawing out business insights and perspectives on the outcomes and impact of the AEC and the AEC Blueprint 2025 implementation, challenges and opportunities on the ground, as well as expectations and recommendations for the next phase of AEC Blueprint 2025 implementation.
The discussion complemented the previous discussion in November with Joint Business Councils. Together, they presented a more holistic perspective of businesses in ASEAN.
Within the context of the AEC, participants shared their views on enhancing economic integration; increasing competitiveness and increasing participation in global value chains; and sustainable and inclusive AEC.
The highlights of the discussion focused on the AEC Blueprint 2025’s implementation; translation of AEC’s implementation to changes and benefits on the ground; the need for good regulatory practice; challenges on non-tariff measures; digitalisation’s opportunities and challenges; and new production and distribution realities in global value chains. Other issues that were also underlined included imperatives of human capital development; gender mainstreaming, sustainability and inclusivity considerations; and closer engagement between government and private sectors.
The results of the discussion will feed into the final report of the Mid-Term Review on the AEC Blueprint 2025, which is expected to be finalised in early 2021.
Furthermore, the ASEAN Secretariat will conduct the ASEAN Business Sentiment Survey up until January 2021. The survey will gauge the response from a broad population of ASEAN businesses, from MSMEs to large companies in the ten countries, on their awareness of AEC, general sentiment of business, and challenges they face in operating in ASEAN markets.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
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The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
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