"It is admitted that economic, financial, food and energy security has overpowered military security issue and it has caused humanitarian concerns and drawn people`s attention," he said when opening the 43rd meeting of ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) here on Wednesday.
Boediono emphasized the importance of the implementation of the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework including the signing of "the ASEAN Plus Three agreement on emergency rice stock" later at the end of this year.
He hoped ASEAN economic ministers would also take efforts to secure trade and other sectors.
He said the AEM could improve the implementation of the existing programs by increasing productivity and production and coordinating their respective food policies.
Efforts also need to be taken with regard to information linked to trade such as shares, demand, price and logistics.
He said ASEAN needs to take joint efforts in the micro-economy and regulatory reform to assure that ASEAN would remain competitive, to make it easier for investors to do and develop businesses in the region.
It also needed to increase domestic and foreign investment as well as productivity and spur development and growth.
In order to advance he said it was also important that progress is made in the implementation of the Framework of ASEAN Agreement on Services (AFAS).
"At a global level reducing service barriers could double the economic impact on reducing trade barriers," he said.
Service sector has become a source of employment growth in the past decade while efficiency in the sector would contribute to improving competitiveness of other sectors.
Boediono said service sector was the main component in the GDP of ASEAN member countries.
"Service sector contributes 30 to 70 percent to the GDP of ASEAN member countries," he said.
Boediono also emphasized the importance of fully implementing AFAS including paying bigger attention to mobility of skilled workers through `mutual recognition arrangements" to further advance ASEAN.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
