ASEAN Officials Say Issues Resolved Ahead of November Digital Pact Signing

Asean officials said in June that they had resolved all outstanding issues arising from a meeting in Manila in May. They also said the proposed digital pact was expected to play a transformative role in unlocking the full potential of the region’s digital economy.

A pact aimed at cross-border compatibility

The Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement is targeted to be signed during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila in November. Its draft text, however, has yet to be published.

The agreement is intended to improve compatibility between the rules and systems governing digital payments, data flows and online commerce across the region. The aim is to make it easier for businesses and consumers to operate across borders in the digital economy.

Analysts say the outcome will depend on whether Southeast Asian governments can align their domestic laws under the proposed pact. That alignment could determine how smoothly the agreement’s rules work across different national systems.

Implementation remains a concern

An analyst has cited implementation hurdles under Asean’s e-commerce agreement and said the proposed digital economy pact may face similar issues. The concern is that an agreement between governments may not by itself ensure that businesses and consumers encounter compatible rules in practice.

Asean is therefore seeking progress on both the agreement and the domestic legal changes needed to support it. The planned signing in November would mark a further step, but the unpublished draft means the details of how the pact will address digital payments, data flows and online commerce are not yet available.

Source: South China Morning Post