Digitalisation reshapes every sector, from education to healthcare to logistics and government services. - asparagus pictures
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary (Infocommunications) at the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications Mazriyani Abdul Ghani emphasised that Asean stands at the forefront of profound digital transformation with how digitalisation reshapes every sector, from education to healthcare to logistics and government services. Digital integration is no longer optional and it is essential for competitiveness, inclusivity and long-term resilience.
She said this in her welcoming remarks during the Asean Workshop on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Cross-Border Digital Trade at a hotel in Gadong.
The workshop, from Wednesday (Aug 20) to Thursday, also highlighted that DPI has emerged as a vital foundation for Asean’s digital future, encompassing digital identity, interoperable payments, trusted data sharing, trade documentation and core registries which enable efficient and secure cross-border digital trade. Interoperability in digital identity, payments, and trade documentation will determine how effective Asean can be in harnessing digitalisation to drive regional growth and integration.
The Asean DPI for cross-border digital trade project will come in two phases, where the first phase is to study the state of DPI across Asean member states, while the second phase will be the development and implementation of a toolkit for Asean DPI integration by providing guidelines and methodologies for government, businesses and public adoption.
As part of the first phase, the workshop featured a wide range of topics including an overview of the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and its implications for cross-border digital trade, introduction to DPI, such as foundational elements for a robust digital economy. Asean member states also presented their current status, initiatives and challenges in developing DPI and enhancing digital trade capabilities, and discussed the way forward for Asean DEFA and DPI.
The outcomes from the workshop will be used to develop a landscape study report on DPI across Asean. Phase 1 is expected to be finalised and presented at the 2nd Asean Digital Senior Officials’ Meeting and Asean Telecommunications Regulators’ Council Leaders’ Retreat of 2025, scheduled to be held later this year in Malaysia.
Brunei Darussalam was entrusted to lead Asean DPI for Cross-Border Digital Trade project, an initiative that directly supports the Asean Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM2025) at the 5th Asean Digital Ministers’ Meeting. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
