Asean’s digital economy pact promises to unlock US$2 trillion, but is unknown to 1 in 3 firms: poll
Being in the dark, these firms could be making decisions that may need to be unwound when the agreement kicks in
More than 35 per cent of regional business leaders surveyed in the 2026 Asean Business Outlook Study by Accenture, Google and the American Chamber of Commerce Singapore are unfamiliar with the landmark Digital Economy Framework Agreement (Defa). Of those aware, 49 per cent have not assessed its implications for their operations, while 12 per cent have assessed Defa's relevance.
The agreement, aimed at unlocking up to US$2 trillion for the Southeast Asian region, sets regulatory standards for cross-border data flows, digital trade, and AI governance. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong described Defa as a "pathfinder" for Asean to develop ways to work together in the digital economy. Companies with low familiarity risk making architecture and compliance decisions that may need to be unwound when Defa provisions take effect.
Singapore's AI strategy focuses on worker literacy and developing specialists and experts in AI across four core sectors.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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