ASEAN BIS 2011: Uplifting ASEAN’s Role in Global Partnership

Dr Doan Duy Khuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council in Vietnam (ASEAN BAC Vietnam), expects the Summit will reach specific actions to realise internal investment and business commitments.

 

ASEAN BIS 2011, which is expected to draw the participation of more than 700 delegates, will look into three crucial areas that will shape the environments in which ASEAN businesses operate. These include: climate change and the global food crisis; ASEAN connectivity in the context of infrastructure development; and entrepreneurship and the role of innovation in the region’s economic development.

 

ASEAN BIS 2011 also includes sideline events. Firstly, ASEAN-BAC coordinated with Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS) to conduct a survey to collate business views on the competitiveness of the ASEAN region for trade and investments and the importance of ASEAN policy measures to deepen economic integration on business operations. The 2011 survey based on the attraction of trade and investment as well as the effectiveness of ASEAN’s integration efforts. In addition, the survey hopes to collect business views on policy measures to promote the development and internationalisation of small and medium enterprises.

 

Secondly, ASEAN-BAC agreed to cooperate with the ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group (ASMEWG) to organise the annual ASEAN Business Awards (ABA). The award recognises ASEAN’s leading SMEs in growth, employment, innovation, and corporate social responsibility (CSR).

 

In addition, ASEAN-BAC coordinated with and participated in many regional forums concerning business organisations, academia, research institutes, and other stakeholders, supported the AEC Communications Plan, and promoted ASEAN Economic Initiatives.

 

Ms Dang Thi Hoang Yen, Chairwoman of Tan Tao Group and Co-chair of ASEAN BAC Vietnam, said: Food security and ASEAN’s roles will also be discussed to promote cooperation in agriculture, especially rice production with the aim to boost up rice output and build a common ASEAN rice brand.

 

Under the theme of “ASEAN Community in a Global Community of Nations,” ASEAN in general and ASEAN enterprises in particular are looking towards the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 with four aspects: A single market and production base; a highly competitive economic region; a region of equitable economic development; and a region fully integrated into the global economy, said Dr Doan Duy Khuong.

 

ASEAN-BIS 2011 will be an opportunity for the business community to have a panoramic view of regional economic picture as well as find suitable partners and market. This is also a dialogue forum for the public and private sectors to work together to put forth measures to facilitate and promote ASEAN economic initiatives.

 

According to the ASEAN BAC Vietnam Secretariat, this summit will be incorporated many bilateral dialogues between ASEAN and major global partners to promote economic cooperation like ASEAN - South Korea, ASEAN - Japan, ASEAN - Australia, and ASEAN - United States. The special meeting between ASEAN leaders with investment partners will be attended by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

 

In reality, ASEAN’s biggest advantage is now the service sector, which accounts for some 40 - 50 percent of ASEAN’s GDP. Attending ASEAN-BIS 2011, Vietnamese businesses will have the opportunity to directly talk with ASEAN leaders, contact and establish cooperation with other partners, and learn experience from attending specialists.