Launching of ABA and ABIS
The Brunei ASEAN Business Advisory Council hosted the launch of ASEAN Business Roundtables, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and the ASEAN Business Awards 2021. The series of events presented an opportunity for government, business and civil society, across the region, to come together and identify ways to promote inclusive sustainable growth in a digital age and celebrate business innovation in Southeast Asia. The Launch Event featured the plans for the year ahead that will put a positive spotlight on Brunei and showcase Brunei’s Chairmanship of ASEAN to the world.
Delivering the Keynote Address at the Launch was YB Dato Dr Amin Liew, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, who is also Chair of the ASEAN Economic Community Council. In his remarks he noted the critical role of the private sector in highlighting the business issues of the region and finding pathways forward. YB Dato Dr Amin Liew said ‘Bringing together the Heads of State, the Presidents and Prime Ministers of ASEAN and of our Dialogue Partners, business CEOs and thought leaders to discuss the key issues facing the region, helps us crystallize our thinking on what needs to be done to recover stronger together. The world will be watching and it is an excellent opportunity for Brunei’.
At the event, YB Siti Rozaimeriyanty DSLJ Hj Abd Rahman, 2021 Chair of ASEAN Business Advisory Council provided an overview of the aims of the council that is made up of three members from each of the ten ASEAN Member States. The council was established to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts towards economic integration and identify priority areas for consideration by ASEAN’s Leaders. YB Siti Rozaimeriyanty informed the guests that ‘the theme for Brunei’s ASEAN BAC Chairmanship is ‘Recover, Stronger, Together. Sama-Sama’ and reflects the need for unity and collaboration in these difficult times’. The ASEAN BAC Chair, also introduced the Council’s legacy project H.I.R.E.D, ‘Harnessing Impact with Resilient Employability Digitally’, that seeks to address the digital skills and knowledge gaps in ASEAN amongst the unemployed.
The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit is the region’s most important business event for the Chairmanship year as it brings together the Heads of State, Presidents and Prime Ministers of ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners, global CEOs and thought leaders. Haslina Taib, Chair of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2021, shared that the theme for ASEAN BAC Brunei Chairmanship year’s Summit is ‘Building Our Sustainable Digital Future’ with a programme designed to support the Brunei government’s three strategic thrusts of ‘Recovery. Digitalisation. Sustainability’ that guides Brunei’s Chairmanship of ASEAN. In addition to the Summit, Brunei is breaking tradition and hosting two extra ASEAN Business Roundtables, one on ‘Fintech for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth’ in August and one on ‘Skills for a Digital Age’ planned for September.
The final event in the series is the ASEAN Business Awards which give recognition to enterprises that have excelled in a particular area and contributed to the growth and development of ASEAN. Hj Musa Hj Adnin, Chair of the ASEAN Business Awards noted that ‘since the awards were established in 2007, the ASEAN Business Awards have recognised hundreds of companies across the region’. The ASEAN Business Awards had been scheduled to take place on the 10th of November.
ASEAN BAC Brunei organized two ASEAN Business Roundtables
- 1. Fintech and Financial Literacy,
- 2. Skills for a Digital Age
These Roundtables will enable a deeper dive into topics ahead of the Summit. The roundtables will be held online on:
ASEAN Business and Investment Roundtable 2021
on
Fintech and Financial Literacy
The pandemic has significantly impacted lives and livelihoods across ASEAN. It has changed the way we work, travel, access payments, use cash and highlighted the financial inclusion gaps. The region has seen a surge in online banking as limited movements and the gig economy has accelerated digital adoption and greater use of e-wallets.
The potential for growth and benefits of adoption are significant. Fitch Ratings calculates there are around 290 million unbanked and underserved people in Southeast Asia. While those that are using online banking tend to use it for smaller frequent purchases, bigger spending remains with credit and debit cards according to Kagan research.
Financial literacy is essential for Fintech to be adopted across the region. Greater financial literacy ensures greater use but also inclusiveness as communities are able to better understand how to manage and move money in the digital world. As ASEAN is the fastest growing internet market in the world, Fintech and Financial Literacy is set to play a key role in Southeast Asia’s future.
This Roundtable on Fintech and Financial Literacy will explore how innovative digital financial solutions can ensure an inclusive sustainable recovery. This Roundtable is part of a series of events under the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2021.
AGENDA
| Time GMT +8 | Programme |
|---|---|
| 08:30 - 09:00 |
OPENING SESSIONWelcome remarks by Haslina Taib, CEO, Dynamik Technologies and Chair of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2021 Special Remarks by Mubashar H. Khokhar, Managing Director & CEO, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam Opening Keynote Address by The Hon. Dato Dr Amin Liew Abdullah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II, Brunei Darussalam |
| 09:00 - 10:15 |
PANEL DISCUSSION: FINTECH FOR AN INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ASEANHow can Fintech help Southeast Asia recover stronger? What role can Fintech play in growing ESG investing? How can regulation improve inclusiveness? Keynote Address by H.E. Mr Nguyen Kim Anh, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam Followed by a panel discussion with:
Moderated by Mr. Jonathan Wong, Chief of Technology & Innovation, UNESCAP |
| 10:15 - 11:15 |
PANEL DISCUSSION: FINTECH FOR AN INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ASEANHow can we improve financial literacy, including digital financial literacy, in Southeast Asia? What is the role of government and the private sector? How can education help all of society prepare better financially? Scene Setting by Yang Mulia Dato Seri Paduka Awang Haji Ahmaddin bin Haji Abd Rahman, Chairman, Brunei Central Bank Panel discussion with
Moderated by Dr Elizabeth Ooi, Senior Lecturer of Finance, University of Western Australia. |
| 11:15 |
CONCLUDING REMARKSConcluding Remarks by The Hon Yanty DSLJ Rahman, Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council 2021 |
Programme subject to change.
Further Reading
- Q&A: The evolving Fintech scene in ASEAN. Standard Chartered Bank
- Fintech in ASEAN. UOB, PwC, Singapore Fintech Association
- ASEAN FinTech Ecosystem Benchmarking Study. Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF) at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and FinTechSpace.
- 7 ASEAN Fintech Trends In 2021. Insignia
- Fintech and Financial Literacy in Vietnam. Asian Development Bank.
- Digital Banks in South-East Asia. Fitch Ratings
- Payments Via E Wallets For Multichannel And Broadband Services In Southeast Asia. S&P Global
SPEAKERS
The Hon. Dato Dr Amin Liew Abdullah
MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE AND
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY II
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Haslina Taib
CEO DYNAMIK TECHNOLOGIES
CHAIR, ASEAN BUSINESS AND
INVESTMENT ROUNDTABLES AND SUMMIT 2021
Mubashar H. Khokhar
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
BANK ISLAM BRUNEI DARUSSALAM (BIBD)
The Hon. FDr. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty
DSLJ Haji Abdul Rahman
CHAIRWOMAN OF ASEAN BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL
CHAIRWOMAN OF ASEAN BUSINESS ADVISORY COUNCIL BRUNEI
PANEL DISCUSSION ON
FINTECH FOR AN INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ASEAN
How can Fintech help Southeast Asia recover stronger ? What role can Fintech play in growing ESG investing? How can regulation improve inclusiveness?
MODERATOR
JONATHAN WONG
Chief of Technology & Innovation,
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
PANEL DISCUSSION ON
THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL LITERACY IN ASEAN’S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
How can we improve financial literacy, including digital financial literacy, in Southeast Asia?
What is the role of government and the private sector ? How can education help all of society prepare better financially?
SCENE SETTING
YANG MULIA DATO SERI PADUKA AWANG HAJI
AHMADDIN BIN HAJI ABD RAHMAN
Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy (FISCAL)
Ministry of Finance and Economy
Chairman of Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB)
IMANSYAH
Deputy Commissioner of OJK Institute and Digital Finance,
Indonesia Financial Services Authority (FSA)
PETER J. MORGAN
Senior Consulting Economist and
Vice Chair of Research,
The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI)
HAJAH NORAINI BINTI HAJI SULAIMAN
Deputy Managing Director 1,
Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD)
ASEAN Business and Investment Roundtable 2021
on
Skills for a Digital Age
The Roundtable on Skills for a Digital Age will provide an understanding of the changing nature of the future of work in Southeast Asia and an assessment of the skills gaps in ASEAN across industry. The discussions will also identify how to develop the right skill sets needed for an economy ready for the fourth industrial revolution and a future with Covid-19.
This Roundtable is part of a series of events under the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2021.
AGENDA
| Time GMT +8 | Programme |
|---|---|
| 13:30 – 14:00 |
OPENING SESSIONWelcome remarks by Haslina Taib, Chair ot the ASEAN Business and Investment Roundtable on Skills for a Digital Age Special Remarks by Hjh Farida Dato Seri Paduka Hj Talib, Managing Director and CEO Brunei LNG Opening Keynote Address by The Hon. Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sulaiman, Minister of Education of Brunei Darussalam Launch of Brunei’s Legacy Project ‘H.I.R.E.D’ by YB FDr. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty DSLJ Rahman, Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council |
| 14:00 – 15:15 |
PANEL DISCUSSION: FUTURE OF WORKWhat does the future of work in Southeast Asia look like? How is innovation and business transformation changing how employees operate? What are some of the permanent changes in the work place caused by Covid-19? Keynote Address by H.E. Satvinder Singh, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community. Followed by a panel discussion with
Moderated by: Steven Okun, Senior Advisor, McLarty Associates |
| 15:15 – 16:15 |
PANEL DISCUSSION: SKILLS FOR A DIGITAL AGEWith the changing nature of work, what are the skills gaps in Southeast Asia? How can we best prepare for the changing skills needs across ASEAN? What is the role of education in ensuring a workforce ready for the needs of industry? What is the role of employers in facilitating lifelong learning? Keynote Address by Mark Garnier MP, Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Brunei, Myanmar and Thailand and Launch of the UK-ASEAN BAC Brunei partnership in support of HIRED. Followed by a panel discussion with:
Moderated by Dr Sameer Khatiwada, Technology and Innovation Specialist (Social Sectors), Asian Development Bank |
| 16:15 |
CONCLUDING REMARKSConcluding Remarks by The Hon FDr. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty DSLJ Rahman, Chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council 2021 |
Programme subject to change
Further Reading
- ILO: Future of work strategies in Asia-Pacific should focus more on people than technologies. International Labour Organisation
- The Future of Work Across ASEAN. Asia Foundation
- How Southeast Asia can Prepare for Jobs of the Future. Asian Development Bank
- Adapting to Changing Skills Needs in Southeast Asia.. OECD.
SPEAKERS
The Hon. Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Hamzah Haji Sulaiman
Hjh Farida Dato Hj Talib
ABAC Chair - The Hon FDr. Ar. Siti Rozaimeriyanty DSLJ Rahman
Haslina Taib
H.E. Satvinder Singh
Ruma Balasubramanian
Manuel Bulens
Elizabeth Santanakumar
Janine Teo
Mark Garnier MP
Sameer Khatiwada
Anthony Thompson
Dato Palaniappan Joseph
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Suzanne Coogan
