(KPL/VNA) From 2019 to 2024, Indonesia made significant strides in digital statistical cooperation with ASEAN countries, providing a strong foundation for the region’s data-driven economic growth, according to a report released by Indonesian researchers on ResearchGate.

Rapid digital transformation in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, has underpinned ASEAN’s ambitions to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2030, with the digital sector viewed as a primary growth engine. Experts estimate that ASEAN could add up to 1 trillion USD to its digital economy over the next decade.

To harness this potential, ASEAN has adopted strategic frameworks such as the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 and the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), aiming to raise the digital economy’s value to 2 trillion USD by 2030.

Indonesia has been a pioneer in these efforts. In 2023, its Central Statistics Agency (BPS) was designated by the United Nations as the regional hub for big data and data science in the Asia-Pacific - a move that underscores Indonesia’s leadership in regional digital statistics. Through BPS, Indonesia has spearheaded ASEAN-wide training programmes and promoted best practices in statistical data sharing among national agencies.

Indonesian Minister for Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid has emphasised that regional collaboration is essential to ASEAN’s digital transformation and that Indonesia plays a central role in fostering inclusive and sustainable progress.

The collaborative achievements between Indonesia and ASEAN from 2019-2024 have strengthened regional data integration, digital access, infrastructure development, and regulatory frameworks, laying the groundwork for an inclusive, competitive ASEAN digital economy in the years ahead.

KPL