An ASEAN regional business council (RBC) gathering 55 leaders of big enterprises is set to make debut at the World Economic Forum on the Mekong Region (WEF-Mekong) in Hanoi.

Comprising 25 ASEAN firms and 30 global companies, the RBC is aimed at boosting public-private partnership in the most pressing issues facing Southeast Asia, head of Asia-Pacific at the WEF Justin Wood told the media on October 25.

It will focus on building infrastructure, promoting cross-border trade and investment in ASEAN, developing a digital economy and examining the future of employment and industry in the region, and championing the principles of inclusive growth.

Participants at the press conference on the WEF-Mekong

The RBC is expected to launch a number of other initiatives in the year ahead, including a strategic infrastructure program that promotes the concept of blended finance.

Nazir Razak, who will serve as chairman of the ASEAN RBC, added one of the council’s top priorities is promoting the removal of non-tariff barriers and the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The WEF-Mekong, initiated by Vietnam, is expected to offer new cooperation opportunities for leading firms in the region and the world, thereby helping to attract capital for infrastructure development and connectivity enhancement in the Mekong region.

Source: VNA