• by Jia Feng (washington dc)
• Friday, October 05, 2018
• Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON DC, Oct 05 (IPS) - Jia Feng is Communications Officer, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Communications DepartmentHomegrown Ride-Hailing APPS, intelligent traffic systems, advanced construction techniques, automated energy-consumption management all propel the innovation wave washing over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN is young (more than half of its 643 million people are under 30) and has an economy of $2.8 trillion. Its 10 members are moving toward greater economic integration. The region should be at the tip of the digital spear. But it's not that simple.

The Internet has reached most people in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Singapore, but more than 70 percent of Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao P.D.R., and Myanmar remains offline and can't fully participate in the digital economy. High-speed broadband is even more scarce. ASEAN trails China, Japan, and Korea, largely due to high costs. Singapore is the sole exception.

Growing the digital economy depend on five key priorities: (1) Internet connectivity must be universal and affordable. (2) The business climate must encourage competition, which spurs innovation. (3) Education systems must adapt workers' skills to new demands for a digital future. (4) Stronger safety nets are needed to protect those displaced by automation. (5) ASEAN nations should seek to improve financial inclusion through technology and adapt their regulatory frameworks to manage the risks associated with fintech.

As a regional bloc, ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world, and with hundreds of millions of young people eager to join the digital revolution, there's no better time to close the digital divide. The future of the region depends on it.

© Inter Press Service (2018) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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