Asean economic growth 'to outdo EU'

The 2015 World Economic Forum in Jakarta is putting the spotlight on South East Asia's largest economies

By Rajeshni Naidu-Ghelani

Business reporter, BBC News, Jakarta
The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) will surpass the EU in growth once its economies have been integrated, the World Economic Forum in Jakarta has heard.

Malaysia's international trade and industry minister, Mustapa Mohamed, told the forum that in the next decade, Asean would grow by 5% a year.

Meanwhile, the EU would grow less than 2% a year, he said.

As a result, Asean would overtake it in 10 to 15 years' time.

The bloc is being touted as the world's seventh largest economy once it is unified.

It had a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $2.4tn (£1.6tn) in 2013, according to consultancy AT Kearney.

That compares with 13tn euros (£9.4tn) for the EU in the same period.

But with a population of more than 600 million, Mr Mohamed said, the region's youthful population gave it a significant edge over Europe's ageing one.

"What we need to do in Asean is to grow much faster, so we get there much faster, we overtake faster," he said.

His comparisons to the EU stopped there, as he reiterated that the Asean bloc would not have a single monetary policy or central bank, unlike its European counterpart.

Will AEC work?

The Asean Economic Community (AEC) is expected to be formed by the end of this year, with the aim of creating a single market for the free flow of goods, services, investment and labour.

But debate over whether it can be a "true" economic community has been a key topic at this year's forum, with regional country and business leaders weighing in.

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia's chief executive, Tony Fernandes, told participants at the WEF that by the end of 2015, integration would not solve all of the region's issues, but it would have created a platform.

"It will simplify business, it will raise standards and it will bring prosperity," he said. "If there is a true economic community, everyone benefits."

But not everyone was optimistic that the benefits would be spread as evenly.

Soon Ghee Chua, managing partner for South East Asia at AT Kearney, said the wide disparity among some of the countries in the group would challenge integration plans.

"You have some of the richest and some of the poorest countries in the world in Asean," he said, with wealthy Singapore alongside Cambodia and Laos.

"The challenges will be around getting the smaller companies and citizens of Asean excited about it and educated on what are the opportunities that are available."

Most people were not very familiar with what Asean integration was all about, he added, saying the education process needed to happen soon.

For more, watch Talking Business with Linda Yueh this Friday. Details of when to watch are at bbc.co.uk/talkingbusiness.

ប្រវត្តិរបស់មហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី ឬអង្គមិញ ដែលយួនលើកបន្តប់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧

ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ ឬ អង្គមេញ ទ្រង់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧ នៃរាជាណាចក្រខ្មែរឧដុង្គ ទ្រង់គឺជាអ្នកមានអំណាចម្នាក់នៅក្នុងចំនោមស្ត្រីបីនាក់នៅសម័យនោះដែរ។ ព្រះនាងត្រូវបានវៀតណាមលើកឲ្យក្លាយជាព្រះមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរ នៅក្នុងអំឡុងពេលដែលក្រុងកម្ពជាមានសង្រ្គាមជាមួយសៀម។ ព្រះនាង គឺជាសែលោហិតរាជវង្សនរោត្តម មិនតែប៉ុណ្ណោះទេទ្រង់មានឥសរយស្សជា សម្តេចសិល្បៈករប្រចាំក្រុងកម្ពុជានាសម័យនោះ ព្រះអង្គឡើងគ្រោងរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ (១៨៣៥-១៨៤១) ព្រះអង្គសោយរាជ្យបានរយៈពេល៦ឆ្នាំ។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីព្រះបាទឧទ័យរាជា (ព្រះ បាទឧទ័យរាជា ជាទទៅនៅសម័យនោះគេហៅព្រអង្គថាអង្គច័ន្ទ) ទ្រង់ឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីបិតារបស់ព្រះអង្គ គឺព្រះអង្គអេង។ នៅរាជសម័យបន្ទាប់ពីព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី គឺព្រះបាទហរិរះរាមាឥសារាធិបតី ដែលយើងស្គាល់គ្រប់គ្នាគឺ ព្រះបាទអង្គឌួង ព្រះអង្គប្រសូត្រនៅឆ្នាំ១៧៩៦ ហើយសោយទីវង្គត់ នៅខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ ១៨៦០ ក្នុងព្រះជន ៦៤ព្រះវវស្សា ព្រះអង្គគឺជាក្សត្រមួយអង្គដែលបានសង្រ្គោះកម្ពុជាពីកន្តាប់ដៃសៀមនឹងវៀតណាម។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ ១៨៤៧ ដល់ ១៨៦០។ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ សោយទិវង្គត់នៅ ក្នុងខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ១៨៧៤ ក្នុងព្រះជន្មាយុ ៥៩ ព្រះវវស្សា ក្ន...

សារលិខិតរំលែកទុក្ខរបស់ ឯកឧត្តម Kim Sung-Hwan រដ្ឋមន្រ្តីការបរទេសនៃសាធារណរដ្ឋកូរ៉េ ជូន សមេ្តចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី នៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា

Cambodia and Japan commit to preserve heritage site as oil and gas exploration begins in Preah Vihear

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 30, 2012 – The Japanese Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) agreed with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Sok An in a meeting on Monday that the historic temples of Preah Vihear province must be protected and conserved. H.E. Dr. Sok An, Minister in Charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers, told Akira Suzuki, Executive Director and member of the Board of JOGMEC, that there are more than 200 historic sites in the province, including the Temple of Preah Vihear. Dr. Sok An said that it is very important that such cultural heritage be cared for so as to attract more tourists to the area. Already there are 2,000 tourists per day visiting Preah Vihear province. The province is also rich in mineral resources and fertile land for agriculture, he said. The area is also a home of an endangered bird that is attractive to tourists. “If we can discover oil and gas, that is a very good asset for Preah Vihear province and for Cambodia as a w...

រាយនាមព្រះមហាក្សត្រខ្មែរ និងរាជសម័យនៃការគ្រប់គ្រងប្រទេស

ការសិក្សាស្រាវជ្រាវអំពីប្រវត្តិសាស្ត្រខ្មែរ មិនមែនជារឿងងាយទេ ដោយសារតែគ្មានឯកសារច្បាស់លាស់បន្សល់ទុកឱ្យស្រាវជ្រាវ។ ដូច្នេះយើងត្រូវតែកកាយរើមួយម្តងមួយផ្នែកៗ មករៀបចំផ្គុំគ្នាដើម្បីឱ្យបានឃើញការពិតពីមួយសម័យកាលទៅមួយសម័យទៀត។ ខាងក្រោមនេះ គឺជាការស្រាវជ្រាវប្រវត្តិនៃការគ្រប់គ្រងរបស់ព្រះមហាក្សត្រខ្មែរ និងព្រះនាមរបស់ទ្រង់នីមួយៗ៖ * សម័យនគរភ្នំ (ហ្វូណន សវទី១ ៥៥០ គស) 1. ព្រះនាងសោមាហៅលីវយី (ដើមសតវត្សទី១) 2. កៅណ្ឌិន្យ(៦៨) 3. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម (សតវត្សទី២) 4. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅ បាន់ ហួង (សតវត្សទី២) 5. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅ ហ្វាន់ហ្វាន់(ដើមសតវត្សទី៣) 6. ស្រីម៉ារ៉ា ចិនហៅ ចេម៉ាន់(២០៥- ២២៥) 7. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាមចិនហៅ Fan chin sheng(២២៥) 8. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅហ្វាន់ចាន់(២២៥ -២៤០) 9. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម ចិនហៅហ្វាន់សីុយន់(២៤០- ២៨៧) 10. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម(សតវត្សទី៣ ) 11. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាមចិនហៅតៀនជូ ចាន់តាន(សតវត្សទី៤) 12. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម(សតវត្សទី៤ ) 13. កៅណ្ឌិន្យទី២ចិនហៅចាវចិនជូ( ? ៤៣៤) 14. ស្រី =ន្រ្ទវរ្ម័ន(៤៣៤- ៤៣៥) 15. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម មិនស្គាល់រជ្ជកាល 16. មិនស្គាល់ព្រះនាម មិនស្គាល់រជ្ជកាល 17. កៅណ្ឌិន្យ...

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