ON THE CUSP - International Monetary Fund...Thailand Vietnam Cambodia Indonesia Myanmar Lao P. D. R....
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34 FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT | September 2018 PICTURE THIS The Digital Potential Economy Population ASEAN has great potential to go digital, with its sizable economies, demographic dividend, and continuous regional integration Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (April 2018). Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (April 2018). If ASEAN were a single economy, its GDP would be the 5th largest in the world. ASEAN has the 3rd largest population in the world. More than 50% of its people are under 30 years old. ©ISTOCK/ L_KRAMER HOMEGROWN RIDE-HAILING APPS, intelligent traffic systems, advanced construction techniques, auto- mated energy-consumption management all propel the innovation wave washing over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Indonesia’s vibrant digital ecosystem, for exam- ple, boasts more than 1,700 start-ups—among the world’s largest clusters of new firms. GO-JEK, to name one, evolved from a ride-hailing app to a plat- form for mobile payments and other digital services. In Singapore, Sea, the most valuable start-up in the region—worth several billion dollars—began as an online gaming company and branched out into mobile money and shopping. ASEAN is young (more than half of its 643 million people are under 30) and has an econ- omy of $2.8 trillion. Its 10 members are moving toward greater economic integration. e region should be at the tip of the digital spear. But it’s not that simple. e 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 univer- sal and affordable. (2) e 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 mil- lions of young people eager to join the digital rev- olution, there’s no better time to close the digital divide. e future of the region depends on it. Prepared by JIA FENG, communications officer, IMF Communications Department Poised to become digital-first economies, ASEAN countries still face core challenges ON THE CUSP United States China Japan Germany ASEAN United Kingdom China India ASEAN United States Brazil 19.4 12.0 4.9 3.7 2.8 2.6 1,390 1,317 643 326 208 (trillions of US dollars) (millions of people) $$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$ $$$ $$ $$
Transcript of ON THE CUSP - International Monetary Fund...Thailand Vietnam Cambodia Indonesia Myanmar Lao P. D. R....
34 FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT | September 2018
PICTURE THIS
The Digital Potential
Economy Population
ASEAN has great potential to go digital, with its sizable economies, demographic dividend, and continuous regional integration
Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (April 2018). Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook (April 2018).
If ASEAN were a single economy, its GDP would be the 5th largest in the world.
ASEAN has the 3rd largest population in the world.More than 50% of its people are under 30 years old.
©IS
TOCK
/ L_K
RAM
ER
HOMEGROWN RIDE-HAILING APPS, intelligent traffic systems, advanced construction techniques, auto-mated energy-consumption management all propel the innovation wave washing over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Indonesia’s vibrant digital ecosystem, for exam-ple, boasts more than 1,700 start-ups—among the world’s largest clusters of new firms. GO-JEK, to name one, evolved from a ride-hailing app to a plat-form for mobile payments and other digital services. In Singapore, Sea, the most valuable start-up in the region—worth several billion dollars—began as an online gaming company and branched out into mobile money and shopping.
ASEAN is young (more than half of its 643 million people are under 30) and has an econ-omy 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 univer-sal and affordable. (2) The business climate must encourage competition, which spurs innovation. (3) Education systems must adapt workers’ skillsto new demands for a digital future. (4) Strongersafety nets are needed to protect those displacedby automation. (5) ASEAN nations should seekto improve financial inclusion through technologyand adapt their regulatory frameworks to managethe risks associated with fintech.
As a regional bloc, ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world, and with hundreds of mil-lions of young people eager to join the digital rev-olution, there’s no better time to close the digital divide. The future of the region depends on it.
Prepared by JIA FENG, communications officer, IMF Communications Department
Poised to become digital-first economies, ASEAN countries still face core challenges
ON THE CUSP
United StatesChinaJapan
GermanyASEAN
United Kingdom
ChinaIndia
ASEANUnited States
Brazil
19.412.04.93.72.82.6
1,3901,317643326208
(trillions of US dollars) (millions of people)
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$
September 2018 | FINANCE & DEVELOPMENT 35
PICTURE THIS
ASEAN has a large digital divide in Internet and broadband penetration. Fixed broadband is prohibitively expensive in many countries
Economic integration provides a platform for ASEAN’s digital economy to proliferate and realize greater economies of scale
Universal and affordable Internet access
Vibrant business climate to encourage competition
New education systems to adapt workers’ skills to new demands
Stronger safety nets to protect workers displaced by automation
ASEAN’s top sources of foreign direct investment inflows, by share, 2017
ASEAN’s top merchandise trading partners, by share, 2017
Intra-ASEANIntra-ASEAN
19.4%23%
EUChina
18.6%17%
JapanEU
9.6%10%
ChinaUnites States
8.2%9%
NetherlandsJapan
7.8%9%
Source: ASEANstats.
Financial regulatory framework to manage the risks from fintech
The Digital Divide
Accelerating Economic Integration
How Can ASEAN Seize the Opportunity?
(individuals using the Internet, percent of population)
(fixed-broadband subscriptions, per 100 inhabitants)
(fixed-broadband prices, percent GNI per capita)
Source: Measuring the Information Society Report 2017, International Telecommunication Union. NOTE: GNI=gross national income.
0 20 40 60 80 0 10 20 30 40 0 5 10 15 20
KoreaJapanChina
SingaporeMalaysia
Brunei DarussalamPhilippines
ThailandVietnam
CambodiaIndonesiaMyanmar
Lao P. D. R.
