MITI Confident ASEAN Will Reach Substantial Agreement On DEFA By Year-End

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz is confident ASEAN will reach a full agreement on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) by the end of this year.

He said that negotiations have progressed by 69.6 per cent, and this achievement was one of the focal points when he chaired the Special Meeting of the ASEAN Economic Community Council (AECC) to discuss DEFA.

“I am confident that, with the ASEAN spirit, we will achieve a substantial agreement by the end of this year.

“DEFA is not only about digital trade, but also about ensuring an inclusive and equitable digital economy for all,” he said in a posting on social media platform X today, adding that DEFA would position ASEAN as a regional digital hub and drive economic growth.

On Aug 18, Tengku Zafrul said that DEFA, the first of its kind in any regional framework, will enable small and medium-sized enterprises to become part of a more inclusive ASEAN intra-trade ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA