by Irene Wijaya | Nov 5, 2019 | Connectivity, Technical Reports
The ASEAN member states have a long-standing goal to establish multilateral power trading in the region. To date, regional power trading has been limited to a series of uncoordinated bilateral cross-border arrangements. Multilateral power trading can bring multiple benefits, including reduced system costs, increased energy security and an ability to integrate higher shares of variable renewable energy. An examination of international experiences shows that it is possible to establish multilateral trading while allowing for stepwise and voluntary development and respecting local sovereignty. At the same time, increased cross-border integration and power trade does require increased co ordination and regulatory harmonisation. This report identifies a set of minimum political, technical and institutional requirements that the ASEAN member states will need to meet in order to establish multilateral power trading in the region. Some of these minimum requirements can be met by building upon existing efforts in the region. The report also proposes a set of trading arrangements of increasing levels of ambition which, taken together, will enable ASEAN to establish multilateral power trading in a manner that is consistent with maximising national sovereignty and the equitable sharing of benefits. These recommendations include a summary of potential roles for regional institutions and an example transaction to show how trading might potentially work in practice. This report was produced in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA). Download the report (13MB,...
by Irene Wijaya | Nov 5, 2019 | Energy and Minerals, Projects
Status: Completed. As efforts towards multilateral power trading in ASEAN gains momentum, ensuring that the key supporting institutions necessary to design and implement the market design have the same understanding of issues and have sufficient capacity is essential. Based on the results of the “Feasibility Study for ASEAN Multilateral Power Trade (MPT)” project, this includes regional institutions which will foster increased cooperation and coordination to implement multilateral power trading. They can also potentially support better knowledge management through sharing good practices and capacity building. This project enhance the capacity of the ASEAN Secretariat, specifically the Energy and Minerals Division, to support ASEAN Members States on initiating multilateral electricity trading in the APG, including drafting a recommended institutional design for the ASEAN Energy Regulators Network (AERN) or an alternative regulatory mechanism. Related project: Feasibility Study for ASEAN Multilateral Power Trade (MPT) Related publication: Feasibility Study for ASEAN Multilateral Power Trade (13 MB, .zip) For more information, please contact the Energy and Minerals Division of the ASEAN Secretariat....
by Irene Wijaya | Nov 5, 2019 | Investment, Technical Reports
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into ASEAN increased for the third consecutive year in 2018, reaching an all-time high level of USD 155 billion. The region’s share of global FDI inflows also rose to 11.5 percent in 2018. This trend is expected to continue. Services sector is the largest recipient of FDI in ASEAN. The share of services sector in total FDI grew from 50 per cent in 1999-2003 to 66 per cent in 2014-2018. A significant part of FDI in services flows into financial services, wholesale and retail, and real estate activities. This year’s ASEAN Investment Report features the FDI in the services sector, with a special focus on health care. The Report looks in foreign investments and the Multi-National Enterprises (MNEs) in the healthcare industry in ASEAN, as well as the investment environment they thrive in. The Report also provides recommendations in moving forward to develop a competitive health care environment in the region. This report was produced in collaboration with UNCTAD. Download the...
by Irene Wijaya | May 23, 2019 | IAI/NDG, Projects
Status: Completed. The IAI Work Plan III is in its third year of implementation. While implementation rate has been encouraging, it is recognised that a robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements will improve effectiveness and efficiency in the implementation of the IAI Work Plan III. This project aimes to (i) assess the progress of the implementation IAI Work Plan III against stated outputs, and overall outcomes; (ii) identify issues and challenges affecting effective and efficient delivery of outputs and their contribution to desired outcomes; (iii) strengthening implementation arrangements for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting system, (iv) strengthen national and stakeholders’ ownership; and (v) provide recommendations for improving the efficiency, effectiveness, relevance and impact of implementation of the current IAI Work Plan as well as draw initial lessons learned as crucial inputs for the formulation of the next IAI Work Plan. Please contact the IAI/NDG Division of the ASEAN Secretariat for enquiries on the results of this project. Related Project: Work Planning Assistance for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration...
by Irene Wijaya | Apr 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
Status: Tendering. The OECD estimated the Southeast Asian nations’ combined gross domestic product (GDP) to continue to grow by 5.2% between 2019 and 2023 . ASEAN needs efficient logistics services to enable this growth and enhance its competitiveness. Trends such as e-commerce, urbanisation, and companies shifting their supply chains are accelerating demands for these services even further. An efficient region-wide logistics services network is needed to facilitate flow of goods, services and related information between producers, or from producers to consumers, anywhere in the region. Seamless logistics therefore has been a consistent priority for ASEAN since the last decade, and efforts have been made to reduce time and costs of transport and boost cross-border trade. Significant progress, such as the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) and work under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), have strengthen ASEAN’s logistics environment. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain. The logistics sector in itself is complex, involving diverse stakeholders ranging from various government agencies to the private sector. Due to differences in countries’ stage of development with varying geographical characteristics, the trade structure and composition, each ASEAN Member States (AMS) has different priorities in facilitating trade and implementing the requisite infrastructure development and policy reforms for an efficient regional logistics services network. One way to help address the above challenges, specifically in identifying common priorities and promoting coherence, is assessing logistics services development needs based on regional trade routes and priority product groupings/commodities that would provide cross-border benefits across multiple AMS. Once trade routes and commodities are identified, detailed logistics information surrounding them should be collected and analysed to identify bottlenecks and prioritise...
