JAKARTA, 18 September 2023 – The first Direct Interface on ASEAN Economic Community AEC) Post-2025 Agenda was held on 18 September at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, serving as a participatory platform for the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) to engage with the business sectors in developing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Attendant Document.
Organised by the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from the Australian Government through Aus4ASEAN Future, the Interface brought together the HLTF-EI members, representatives of regional business associations, national business chambers, and ASEAN-based enterprises to exchange views on the potential AEC 2045 priorities and agenda.
Chair of Working Group on AEC Post-2025 under HLTF-EI, Mrs. Netty Muharni, underscored the need for AEC 2045 planning to be comprehensive, inclusive, and participatory, making sure that all relevant stakeholders are included in the process. “Business community plays a pivotal role in the engine of economic growth – you are the creator of jobs, drivers of trade, and innovators of solutions,” she added.
Notwithstanding the progress made so far, which is reflected in, amongst others, consistent economic growth that the region has experienced over the past decade, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the AEC Satvinder Singh also stressed that the AEC 2045 planning should be forward-looking, making sure that it remains agile, adaptable, action-oriented, enterprising, nimble, and inclusive in the post-2025 environment.
Representatives of the business community conveyed their appreciation towards ASEAN’s proactive approach in engaging stakeholders in designing the AEC 2045 goals and priorities. Whilst recognising commendable progress that ASEAN has attained in reducing market access barriers, the business community called for the AEC 2045 agenda to be ambitious, yet realistic, allowing businesses to gain practical benefits from ASEAN’s economic integration endeavours.
The wider business community were invited to voice their concerns and aspirations on AEC 2045 on the living form, (here), until 18 October 2023. The Interface was the first of the series of AEC engagement processes that ASEAN will pursue with its stakeholders, whilst dialogues are scheduled to take place in the coming months with the region’s think-tanks, civil society organisations, as well as external partners.
# # #
Please contact the AEC Post-2025 Unit (AECPost2025@asean.org) for further information.
