Arsjad Rasjid: Indonesia Raises ASEAN Opportunities To Develop Electric Vehicle Ecosystems

Chairman of the ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Arsjad Rasjid said Indonesia is focused on raising opportunities for ASEAN cooperation to develop an electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.

Arsjad, after the opening of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) in Jakarta, Sunday, September 3, said that the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem is in line with ASEAN's priorities in developing sustainable energy, including energy transitions, energy efficiency to carbon credit.

"That's why, appointed by Indonesia regarding the electric vehicle ecosystem. This is what we encourage. Friends from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, all said, okay, this is the time because we have only competed. In fact, now is not a competition, but we must collaborate to create complementary values (a value that complements each other)," he said, quoted by Antara.

Not only about the development of sustainable energy, the ASEAN collaboration which is driven through Indonesian Chairmanship is also focused on digital transformation in all sectors.

Digital transformation is considered important because it will help develop the MSME sector, not only in Indonesia, but also throughout ASEAN.

Other opportunities that are also open to ASEAN centrality, continued Arsjad, are included in the fields of health and food.

He said, along with the issuance of the Omnibus Law on Health in Indonesia, other countries in ASEAN also welcomed it because it was hoped that it would support the development of the health industry in the region.

As for food security, ASEAN collaboration is also expected to be able to support this region to unite and begin to fill their respective shortcomings.

"So far, we have never made trade between us, think more about leaving (ASEAN). Now that it's after the pandemic, we just realized that it's time for us to trade between us, fill in the shortcomings between us, if we can continue to strengthen food security, so that we can enter the global supply chain," said the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.