1. ASOCIO ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC) DIGITAL TASKFORCE

2. WHY ASEAN?

3. 2007 – ASEAN Economic Blueprint 2015
ASEAN INSTITUTIONAL MILESTONES
1967 : ASEAN formation providing political leadership for regional integration
1999 – e-ASEAN Framework
2007 – ASEAN Economic Blueprint 2015
2015 – ASEAN Economic Community
2015 – ASEAN Economic Blueprint 2025

4. ASEAN STRATEGIC STRUCTURE MINISTERIAL LEVEL INTERVENTIONS & ADVOCACY
Human Rights
Economy
Culture & Arts
Foreign Affairs
Trade
Sports
Regional Affairs
Energy
Disaster Management
Defense
Agriculture & Forestry
Education
Legal
Finance
Environment
Transnational Crime
Investment
Haze Pollution
Minerals
Health
Science & Technology
Information
Telecommunications / IT
Labour
Transport
Rural / Poverty
Tourism
Social Welfare
Mekong Basin
Women
Development Gap
Youth

5. WHAT IS AEC?
The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) shall be the goal of regional economic integration by AEC envisages the following key characteristics: (a) a single market and production base, (b) a highly competitive economic region, (c) a region of equitable economic development, and (d) a region fully integrated into the global economy.
The AEC areas of cooperation include human resources development and capacity building; recognition of professional qualifications; closer consultation on macroeconomic and financial policies; trade financing measures; enhanced infrastructure and communications connectivity; development of electronic transactions through e-ASEAN; integrating industries across the region to promote regional sourcing; and enhancing private sector involvement for the building of the AEC. In short, the AEC will transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and freer flow of capital.
Source: asean.org

6. AEC Blueprint 2015
The ASEAN Leaders adopted the ASEAN Economic Blueprint in 2007 to serve as a coherent master plan guiding the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community 2015.
Among the objectives:
Eliminating tariffs and facilitating trade
Advancing services trade liberalisation
Liberalising and facilitating investment
Streamlining and harmonising capital market regulations
Facilitating skilled labour mobility
Promoting development of regional competition framework
Consumer protection and IPR
Promoting connectivity
Narrowing development gaps
Strengthening ASEAN relationship with external parties
Implementation has been mostly achieved by 2015
Source: AEC Blueprint 2025

7. AEC Blueprint 2025
AEC Blueprint 2025 will build on the previous Blueprint. The commitments of CLMV (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) given special focus.
The Blueprint will include:
A highly integrated and cohesive economy
A competitive, Innovative and Dynamic ASEAN
An enhanced Connectivity and Sectoral Cooperation
A resilient, inclusive, people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN
A global ASEAN
There are specific measures on ICT and E-Commerce
Source: AEC Blueprint 2025

8. AEC Blueprint 2025 – ICT
Economic Transformation – ICT for economic development and promote digital trade
People Integration and Empowerment Through ICT – Strengthen digital inclusion, enhance broadband penetration and affordability
Innovation – Support ICT innovations and entrepreneurship and new technology developments such as Big Data, Smart City
The Blueprint will include:
A highly integrated and cohesive economy
A competitive, Innovative and Dynamic ASEAN
An enhanced Connectivity and Sectoral Cooperation
A resilient, inclusive, people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN
A global ASEAN
Human Capital Development – Strengthen ICT workforce
ICT in the Single Market – Promote the freer flow of ICT products, services and investment as well as lowering roaming charges
New Media and Content – Encourage e-services and new media
Information Security and Assurance – Build a trusted ecosystem
Source: AEC Blueprint 2025

9. AEC Blueprint 2025 – E-Commerce
To develop an ASEAN Agreement on E-Commerce
These include measures on:
Harmonised consumer rights and protection laws
Harmonised online dispute resolution framework
Schemes on e-identity and authorisation (electronic signature)
Coherent framework on personal data protection
Source: AEC Blueprint 2025

10. ASOCIO AEC DIGITAL TAKFORCE
ASOCIO formed the AEC Digital Taskforce to capitalise and provide a voice on for the ICT industry on AEC implementation.
Malaysia will be chairing the taskforce with founding members Thailand and Vietnam.
The Terms of Reference include:
Engage with Asian Economic Community (AEC) stakeholders  to Enable Maximum Participation in  Business Opportunities among ASOCIO Member Economies.
Develop trade initiatives aligned to the Blue Print of AEC
Create platform for certifications to support free flow of skilled workforce in AEC.
Recommendation of policies
Identify taxation impediments and recommendation of tax-free policies to promote e-commerce.
Increase English literacy and use English as primary language to communicate  in ICT arena
Make ASOCIO as a vital interest group of AEC to engage dialogues with ASEAN Secretariat   and  ASEAN ICT Ministers Meeting (TELMIN).
Source: AEC Blueprint 2025

11. POSSIBLE POLICY INTERVENTION
Mutual Recognition Arrangements on certification of ICT Products
Framework on movement of ICT professionals
Common E-Waste and Green ICT Policy
Taxation on E-Commerce products and services
IP protection registration
Complete tariff elimination

12. POSSIBLE PROJECTS/INITIATIVES
ASEAN Broadband and Data Roaming Programme
ASEAN ICT4D and Digital Inclusion Programmes
ASEAN e-Digital Mall
ASEAN Green ICT Initiative
Annual ASEAN Digital Summit and Workshop
ASEAN Digital Academy for Human Capital Development
ASEAN Digital Research on State of ICT Sector

13. THANK YOU

14. APPENDIX

15. ASEAN GROWTH RATES

16. ASEAN DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY

17. ASEAN MARKET POWER

18. ASEAN TRADE & FDI

19. AEC BLUEPRINT 2015

20. GAPS AND CHALLENGES IN ASEAN
Political gap – at different levels of democracy;
Socio-economic gap - different levels of democracy;
Digital gaps
- infrastructure ;
- Access;
- ICT Diffusion;
- Affordability
- Usage levels and patterns
- Skill