The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) believes that ASEAN has the potential to become a centre of economic growth through the principles of peace, prosperity, partnership, humanity, and inclusive development. The ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) 2023 has discussed various important issues for the advancement of ASEAN, resulting in recommendations and legacy projects as innovative solutions.

"Together we will face challenges, capitalise on opportunities, and create a legacy that will shape ASEAN's economic landscape for generations to come," said Kadin Indonesia Chairman Arsjad Rasjid, who is also the Chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (4/9/2023).

The ASEAN Business & Investment Summit (ABIS) 2023 themed "Innovating Towards Greater Inclusivity" was held on 3-4 September 2023. On the first day, the importance of policies that encourage investment into the ASEAN region and the positive impact of ASEAN growth on the world economy were discussed. In 2022, 17 per cent of FDI entered ASEAN, making it the most attractive region for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

On the second day of ABIS 2023, government initiatives in supporting the private sector to address the challenges facing the ASEAN region were discussed (4/9/2023). The panel discussion covered five main topics, namely ASEAN's readiness to harmonise regulations to bring in regional investment, finding opportunities for innovative industries and technologies that will drive ASEAN's economic growth, collaboration between the public and private sectors in accelerating regional economic growth, ASEAN as a stable and harmonious region, and the importance of connectivity in regional economic growth.

After two days of ABIS, Arsjad Rasjid announced eight legacy projects, including ASEAN QR Code, Marketplace Lending Platform, Entrepreneur Wiki, Carbon Centre of Excellence, ASEAN Net Zero Hub, ASEAN One Shot Campaign, Inclusive Closed-Loop Model for Agricultural Products, and ASEAN Business Entity.

The projects cover five policy priority agendas, ranging from digital transformation, sustainable development, health security, food security, and facilitating trade and investment, including the empowerment of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), community connectivity, and economic decarbonisation.

ASEAN is also expected to become the most attractive investment and trade destination in the world, becoming a fast-growing, inclusive, and sustainable economic region.

ABIS 2023 was attended by 2,000 participants consisting of country leaders, CEOs, and senior executives representing multinational and regional companies.