ASEAN is hoped to navigate the road-ahead of a Post COVID-19 era with new economic perspectives and reshuffling of national and regional priorities so that ASEAN can recover and reap the benefits together. Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister of Finance and Economy was speaking while chairing the 53rd ASEAN Economic Ministers, AEM, Meeting via video conferencing. Optimistic that ASEAN can adapt to the ‘new normal’ steadily together, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah also shared his views on key learning points from the pandemic. First, cooperation and multilateralism are vital for a sustained and dynamic economic growth especially in the area of vaccine development and distribution.
Particularly, cooperation is needed to ensure that these are done in a fair, open, secure and equitable manner; and second, it has increased the urgency for digital transformation in the region especially in developing strategies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Attending the meeting virtually were Economic Ministers from ASEAN Member States and His Excellency Dato Lim Jock Hoi, ASEAN Secretary General. Brunei Darussalam was represented by Dato Seri Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Manaf bin Haji Metussin, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy for Economy.
The Ministers exchanged views on matters pertaining to the COVID-19 situation in the region; best practices and updated information on countries post-pandemic recovery efforts; benefits of ongoing digital transformation in the region; and green economy policies in the context of sustainable development as a post COVID-19 recovery strategy. The Ministers were also briefed on the progress of the Priority Economic Deliverables under Brunei’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2021 as well as the preparation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, R-CEP Agreement that will enter into force by January 2022.
Source: Radio Television Brunei