by Kaisar | Feb 9, 2015 | Investment, Projects
Status: Completed ACIA was signed by the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) on 26 February 2009 and consolidated existing agreements: the ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) of 1998 and the ASEAN Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments of 1987, also known as ASEAN Investment Guarantee Agreement (IGA). It is an enhanced agreement that encompasses four pillars: liberalisation, facilitation, protection, and promotion. It also contains new features to further promote and encourage foreign direct investment inflows into ASEAN. ACIA was signed in response to the competitive global environment for foreign direct investment with the aim of creating a freer and more open investment regime based on international best practices. As a new agreement, ACIA lacks exposure and needs to be extensively promoted. In this respect, policy makers, investors and academics need to have a stronger understanding of ACIA such as obligations under ACIA regarding liberalisation commitments via the reservation lists, enhanced protection offered through the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) dispute settlement provisions and the changes and benefits that can be anticipated by businesses as a result of ACIA. This project produced a booklet and a guidebook to promote awareness of the ACIA and its key features. A number of seminars was conducted to bring together various stakeholders from the public, private and academia sector to provide feedback on the development of the publications. This project has been completed in 2013. Downloads: Booklet Guidebook Related project: Promoting ACIA Phase 2...
by Kaisar | Feb 9, 2015 | Investment, Projects
Establishing a single market and production base under the AEC Blueprint requires freer and enhanced flow of investment. ASEAN Member States (AMS) have undertaken specific measures to enhance FDI inflows both at the national and regional levels, particularly liberalisation and facilitation measures. Timely publication of information and analyses of investment flows and trends, current policies and programmes and important issues that affect investment will support potential investors’ decision-making process. Thus relevant government agencies in the ASEAN Member States and ASEAN sectoral bodies, as well as the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), have used various media to convey relevant information to foreign investors, including the ASEAN Investment Report (AIR) and the recently launched Invest in ASEAN website. Following publication of the “ASEAN Investment Report 2012: The Changing FDI Landscape” in July 2013, which was prepared with technical assistance from UNCTAD’s Division on Investment and Enterprise (DIAE) and funding support from AADCP II, a similar technical assistance agreement between ASEC’s ASEAN Integration Monitoring Office (AIMO) and UNCTAD-DIAE has been developed, to produce the ASEAN Investment Report 2013. The report will provide relevant information and analysis on FDI flows in ASEAN over the period 2012-2013 and promote understanding of investment policies, initiatives, performance and prospects in an effort to enhance FDI inflows to ASEAN. This project is completed. Download the report here: ASEAN Investment Report 2013-2014: FDI Development and Regional Value Chains ...
by Kaisar | Feb 9, 2015 | Investment, Projects
Achievement of the ASEAN Economic Community goals related to developing a single market and production base, requires a freer and enhanced flow of investment. ASEAN Member States (AMS) need to take specific actions to enhance FDI, especially intra-ASEAN FDI. The development of policies and programs to enhance investment in AMS requires an understanding on the part of all stakeholders-ASEC, ASEAN and sectoral bodies, AMS government agencies, investors-of the current state of affairs regarding investment in ASEAN. The ASEAN Economics Ministers (AEM) and the ASEAN Investment Area Council (AIAC) have mandated the preparation of an annual ASEAN Investment Report that reports on the status of investment flows and trends, identifies key policy issues and assesses prospects and needs to enhance investment. This project will support the preparation of the ASEAN Investment Report 2010-2011 (AIR). This project has been completed. Download report: ASEAN Investment Report 2012...
by Kaisar | Feb 8, 2015 | Projects, Services
Status: Completed. This project is a follow-up to the Toolbox Development for Front Office, F&B Service, and Food Production Divisions project which was completed in February 2014. The project is designed to provide training to master trainers and master assessors from each ASEAN Member State on the use of the specially designed training resources known as ‘toolboxes’, focus on the development of skills and knowledge in the areas of front office, food and beverages services and food production. The trainers will then provide training in their respective countries, while the master assessors will take part in the national certification process and provide training as necessary. Through this project, a series of national level pilot training programs for Trainers and Assessors for Front Office, Food and Beverage Services and Food Production Divisions, was conducted from 4 June to 27 July 2015 in three ASEAN Member States; Lao, Cambodia and Myanmar. This project concluded in 2016. ...
by Kaisar | Feb 8, 2015 | Projects, Services
This project analyses the status of each ASEAN Member State in supporting the implementation of the MRA. It will identify gaps and opportunities for improving harmonisation of the qualification system applied by tourism training and education institutions in each ASEAN Member State, and recommend follow-up actions. It will also identify capacity building needs, particularly regulatory and institutional arrangements. The recommendations will be the basis for the subsequent Capacity Building for MRA adoption by Tourism Educational Institutions in AMS project planned for the future. This project was completed in 2013. To access the full report, please contact the ICT & Tourism Division of the ASEAN Secretariat. ...
