Jakarta – The Minister of Trade (Mendag) Zulkifli Hasan said ASEAN needs to become one market so that it can act as a center of economic growth. The Trade Minister hopes that by becoming one market, ASEAN’s trade volume can increase twice as much as before.
“ASEAN has strong and extraordinary economic growth, we want it to increase a lot, so that ASEAN becomes the center of economic growth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy for International Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Edi Prio Pambudi, assessed that ASEAN needs to review the progress that has been achieved, particularly in three important areas, namely regional growth through connected markets and new competitiveness, accelerating the transformation of an inclusive digital economy. , and drive sustainable economic growth for a resilient future.
In line with the preparation of the post-2025 ASEAN agenda and the theme of Indonesia’s Chairmanship in ASEAN this year, Indonesia proposed a Declaration on ASEAN as an Epicentrum of Growth as a key declaration at the 43rd ASEAN Summit.
“On this occasion, Indonesia conveyed progress on the implementation of the 16 economic priorities which are targeted to be achieved by the end of December 2023. There are 11 priorities that will be completed before the 43rd ASEAN Summit in early September 2023 and the rest are expected to be completed by the end of this year,” he said. .
On a different occasion, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that ASEAN economic growth was stable and was driving the world economy.
“ASEAN is considered as one of the drivers of world economic growth. “As chairman of ASEAN, Indonesia wants to make ASEAN remain the center of world economic growth, the epicenter of growth,” said Jokowi.
So, Jokowi continued, equal and mutually beneficial economic cooperation must be strengthened. Also barriers to trade must also be removed.
ASEAN leaders are determined to make the Southeast Asia region the center of regional economic growth and encourage global economic growth through increasingly strong and competitive cooperation. At the same time emphasizing that ASEAN has the capacity to be the epicenter of growth (Epicentrum of Growth).
