Tapos na ang negotiations para sa ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), ang unang comprehensive digital economy pact ng rehiyon.
Target itong pirmahan sa November kasabay ng 28th ASEAN Economic Community Council Meeting at 49th ASEAN Summit.
Naayos ang lahat ng natitirang isyu sa second meeting ng 57th ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting, o SEOM, na ginanap sa Manila mula May 27 hanggang 29.
“This marks the successful conclusion of the negotiations on ASEAN’s first region-wide digital economy agreement and a major milestone in advancing the ASEAN Leader’s vision of a digitally integrated, secure, interoperable, competitive, and inclusive regional economy,” ani Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of International Trade Relations Director Mary Sherylyn Aquia, chairperson ng ASEAN SEOM.
Ayon kay Aquia, inaasahang malaki ang papel ng ASEAN DEFA sa pagbukas ng potensyal ng digital economy ng rehiyon.
Sa kasalukuyang growth trends, tinatayang aabot sa USD1 trillion ang digital economy ng ASEAN pagsapit ng 2030. Sa pagpapatupad ng kasunduan, maaaring madoble ito sa USD2 trillion pagsapit ng 2030, batay sa studies na binanggit ng regional bloc.
Inaasahang palalakasin nito ang posisyon ng ASEAN bilang isa sa mga pangunahing digital growth hubs sa mundo. Target din nitong makahikayat ng investments, lumikha ng trabaho, suportahan ang entrepreneurship, at palawakin ang oportunidad para sa businesses at communities.
Sakop ng kasunduan ang digital trade, cross-border e-commerce, data governance and privacy, digital identity, electronic payments, online safety and cybersecurity cooperation, competition policy, artificial intelligence, at digital talent mobility.
Nakabatay rin ito sa mga naunang hakbang ng ASEAN sa digital integration, gaya ng ASEAN Single Window, digital payments connectivity, cross-border data initiatives, online consumer protection, at ASEAN Unique Business Identification Number o UBIN.
Inaasahang palalakasin ng ASEAN DEFA ang digital connectivity, tiwala sa online transactions, at cross-border digital trade sa rehiyon.
“ASEAN DEFA forms part of ASEAN’s broader and rapidly evolving digital architecture that is shaping the future of trade, investment, and innovation in the region,” ani Aquia.
“More than a digital trade agreement, the ASEAN DEFA seeks to makes it easier, safer, and more seamless for business and consumers to participate in the digital economy across ASEAN.”
Bukod sa digital trade, idinisenyo rin ang kasunduan bilang development at integration tool para makatulong na paliitin ang development gaps sa pagitan ng member states at palawakin ang oportunidad para sa micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Inaasahang mahalaga rin ito sa pagsulong ng ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future at AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030.
“Its objective is not merely to increase digital trade, but to ensure that the opportunities created by digital transformation are more widely shared across ASEAN member states and their peoples,” ani Aquia.
“It reflects ASEAN’s collective commitment to deepen regional economic integration, strengthen competitiveness, and unlock new opportunities for innovation, investment, and sustainable growth across the region.” /Bistado