​Yang Mulia Dr Hajah May Fae’zah binti Haji Ahmad Ariffin, Permanent Secretary (Economy) at the Ministry of Finance and Economy attended the 39th Meeting of the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) via video conference on Monday, 22nd February 2021. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore.

The Meeting was joined by high-level officials from all ASEAN Member States (AMS) and the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss on the implementation progress of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and the development of the (i) Final Report of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025 and (ii) ASEAN Post-2025 Vision.  

The Meeting also discussed the ten (10) proposed Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) for Brunei Darussalam’s 2021 ASEAN Chairmanship under the theme “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper.” These PEDs fall under three (3) strategic thrusts, namely (i) Recovery; (ii) Digitalization; and (iii) Sustainability. In particular, the meeting deliberated on the concept of Circular Economy and progress on the development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution consolidated strategy.

The HLTF-EI  serves as the advisory role on strategic matters relating to ASEAN economic community building, amongst others to provide strategic guidance in charting the future directions, and to deepen ASEAN’s economic integration in the region and its engagement in the global community.