JAKARTA, 9 OCT – Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto and Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, agreed to accelerate bilateral and regional cooperation in the field of digital economy.
The meeting between the two sides took place on the sidelines of the 24th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Council Meeting in Vientiane, Laos on Monday.
At the meeting, the two ministers discussed several strategic issues such as the negotiation of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), the pilot program X: Tech, and Indonesia’s interest in joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
“Indonesia understands that there are differences in the level of ambition, interest, and capacity between ASEAN member countries in the digital economy,” said Hartarto in a statement from his ministry. Therefore, he emphasized the need for a pragmatic and innovative approach to ensure that ASEAN, which consists of 10 member countries, can complete the DEFA negotiations as planned.
The DEFA negotiations were launched when Indonesia became the Chairman of ASEAN in 2023. The negotiations are expected to reach 50 percent in 2024 and be fully completed in 2025.
This agreement is predicted to be the first comprehensive regional digital economy agreement in the world and is capable of increasing the value of ASEAN’s digital economy to US$2 trillion by 2030.
Regarding the X: Tech pilot program, the two ministers discussed the cooperation program launched during the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders’ Summit at Bogor Palace on 29 April. This program enables the movement of professionals in the technology sector between the two countries.
Hartarto encourages this initiative to be accessible to the community by optimally opening up opportunities through various companies and universities. Singapore also welcomed Indonesia’s desire to join the CPTPP, according to the statement.
“CPTPP will complement the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) for ASEAN in navigating the region’s geo-economics,” said the Indonesian minister.
The two ministers also exchanged views on strategic issues and their impact on the region, such as the Middle East conflict, the United States Presidential Election, as well as the development of renewable energy and green technology in the region. – Named
