ASEAN Must Harmonise Regulations To Ensure Sustainable Competitiveness - Sec-Gen
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- ASEAN must harmonise regulations, accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and align digital and sustainability standards to maximise the potential of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) in securing sustainable competitiveness.
ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn said the region has made tangible progress, noting that the upgraded ATIGA effectively pushes tariffs to zero, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) links ASEAN to almost 30 per cent of global economic growth, and DEFA is projected to unlock a US$2 trillion digital economy by 2030.
He said these developments sharpen a fundamental question on whether ASEAN is moving fast enough to stay ahead.
“The picture tells an encouraging story. The Global Innovation Index (GII) published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) places six ASEAN member states among the world’s top 60 innovators, with Vietnam and Indonesia outperforming expectations.
"Meanwhile, Singapore ranks second globally in the IMD Competitiveness Ranking, and Malaysia advances 11 places to 23rd, its strongest showing since 2020,” he said in his special remarks at the Cyberjaya Conversations Summit 2025 here today.
Kao said that with ASEAN on track to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, the region must ensure growth that is resilient, green and innovation-driven, including increasing research and development investment, strengthening green finance, supporting climate resilience and investing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) talent.
“Guided by the AEC Strategic Plan and the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science, Technology and Innovation (APASTI) 2026–2035, ASEAN has the tools to act now,” he said, adding that the region’s competitiveness beyond 2025 must be built collectively.
He said that under Malaysia’s chairmanship, ASEAN is not only setting targets for economic expansion but also charting a bold 20-year direction through the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
“This vision reflects a significant shift: our future competitiveness will be defined not only by growth, but by a community that is resilient, innovative, dynamic and firmly centred on its people,” he added.
The one-day Cyberjaya Conversation Summit 2025 was organised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology.
The summit was officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
-- BERNAMA
