"Inter-regional integration is a strategy to achieve high growth and maintain the region`s competitive edge, because we cannot possibly compete if we do not have a strong infrastructure network," Surin said in his address at an ASEAN Finance Ministers`Investor Seminar (AFMIS).
Surin said reducing inter-regional disparities was one of ASEAN`s challenges at present, and thus with the improvement of infrastructure networks, it would attract investors to invest in the Southeast Asian countries.
"Disparities among its member countries, are one of ASEAN`s weaknesses at present and therefore we have to beautify ourselves to attract as many investors as possible," Surin said.
According to him, effective integration would not only increase the flow of goods and services, but also encourage quality products in the financing or financial sector.
"The Needs of interstate trade are not the same because each one has different diversity in the economic field, but we want to change the differences into a particular power," Surin said.
He said that by inviting the private sectors to invest, the integration was expected to be more effective to rapidly improve the competitiveness of ASEAN.
Surin said Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the ASEAN region had reached US$67 billion with most of them coming from the services sector.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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