(From left) Malaysia's Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, Myanmar's Union Minister for National Planning, Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Aung Kyaw Hoe, Thailand's Vice Minister for Commerce Kirida Bhaopichitr, East Timor's Vice Prime Minister Kalbuadi Lay, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Luong Hoang Thai, Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Brunei's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Abdul Manaf Metussin, Cambodia's Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce Pich Rithi, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and Laos' Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Manothong Vongsay pose for a group picture after the signing ceremony of the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (Defa) in Manila on Saturday. (Photo by Reuters/Jam Sta Rosa)

MANILA (Nov 14): Asean nations on Saturday signed the landmark Digital Economy Framework Agreement (Defa), a pact aimed at making it easier for businesses to trade online and reach customers across the region.

The signatories were trade ministers from all 11 Asean member states, including Malaysia’s Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque said during the signing ceremony that the pact marked a “defining moment in Asean economic integration”.

She said Defa could help double the region’s digital economy from an estimated US$1 trillion (RM4.08 trillion) to US$2 trillion by 2030.

The agreement, she said, provides a common framework for cross-border e-commerce, electronic payments and data flows, helping businesses reach customers across the region and giving consumers greater confidence in online transactions.

“Our real task now is to translate these commitments into practical outcomes,” she said.

Roque said the signing turned years of negotiations and consultations into a shared commitment to bring Asean economies closer together and widen access to the benefits of digital trade.

She said the agreement provides a common framework for cross-border e-commerce, electronic payments and data flows, helping businesses reach customers across the region and giving consumers greater confidence in online transactions.

Roque said Asean governments must work together to put the necessary infrastructure in place and ensure the agreement is implemented in a way that meets the needs of smaller businesses.

Roque urged businesses to invest in digital solutions, strengthen regional partnerships and help bring micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the digital economy.

Defa negotiations concluded in May after Asean senior economic officials resolved the remaining issues at a meeting in Manila from May 27 to 29.

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