Blog

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade agreement amongst 15 countries in the Asia Pacific and by far, the world’s largest free-trade bloc to have ever been formed. Kicked in on 1 January this year for 10 countries in the Asia Pacific, it was initiated in 2012 by the Association of SoutheastRead more

Pemudah, or The Special Taskforce to Facilitate Business, has reinforced its role as the public-private sector’s collaborative platform to improve ease of doing business in Malaysia. Pemudah saw a change recently with the appointment of new members from the government and the industry. They include three secretaries-general, namely Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek from the CommunicationsRead more

The national biometrics-based digital ID scheme being implemented in Ethiopia will go a long way in expanding access to a wide range of services for Ethiopian citizens, and will hasten the country’s trade relations with other nations of the continent, according to a report by the Ethiopian Herald. The article quotes the country’s Minister ofRead more

Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) is set to revamp and rebrand the MSC Malaysia initiative as it marks its 25th anniversary this year. Chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz said the new and improved MSC will seek to accelerate participation in the digital economy and address the concerns on the widening digital divide by providing equitableRead more

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) entrepreneurs should seize the opportunities created through the government’s initiatives to transition from conventional to online business, said Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. The prime minister said various initiatives had been implemented by the government to help entrepreneurs promote their business, including through Budget 2022 which focuses expenditure onRead more

China’s unexpected move today to apply to join a fledging global digital trade pact even as the country tightens up cross-border data flows has raised questions about its intentions. Today’s move followed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement of Beijing’s intention to join the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) as part of his video address aRead more

Many parts of our daily lives, as well as the way our economy and society are organised and function, are being transformed by digitalisation. The scope and speed with which the digital transition is bringing about change is astounding, and it raises a host of public policy challenges. It’s also altering the nature of policymakingRead more

A total of 600 Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) Digital Economy Centres (PEDi), which are being transformed from existing community internet centres, will focus on generating income and helping the people’s economy, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa. He said the function of community or rural internet centres, which previously only provided internetRead more

National digitalisation, the recovery of the creative industry and sustainable government communications are the focus of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Ministry (KKMM) in Budget 2022 to ensure that no one is left behind in the digitalisation wave. Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the government is responsible for providing infrastructure,Read more

Large power imbalances stalk the growing digital economy as major platforms reinforce their positions in the global data value chain.The data-driven digital economy is surging. Recent estimates show that global internet protocol (IP) traffic a proxy for data flows will more than triple between 2017 and 2022, according to UNCTAD’s Digital Economy Report 2021 releasedRead more