29 APRIL 2021 | 1PM (JKT) 2PM (SGT)
Amidst the pandemic, we have seen demand for digital transactions take off as more businesses and consumers make and receive payments online. Across Southeast Asia, governments and private sector companies have also introduced initiatives that encourage the provision and adoption of digital transaction services to further financial inclusion. Such initiatives have spurred the entry and expansion of new players, providing more customers with greater access to online payment services at affordable rates.
However, COVID-19 has had a significant impact on economies, with businesses, especially those with no or limited online presence, struggling to survive. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), representing a significant proportion of businesses in ASEAN, have been severely affected by the pandemic. MSMEs support communities from diverse backgrounds and there is a growing number of female entrepreneurs catering to the under-served—if such businesses are to survive post-pandemic, they need to digitally transform. MSMEs are businesses that not only stand to benefit the most from digital transaction developments; with the right support, MSMEs have the potential to drive long-term economic recovery and growth that ensures no consumer is left behind, including people living in rural areas, the physically-disabled, women, and the elderly.
This 90-minute webinar, bringing together experts representing government and industry, will endeavour to make a quick and timely assessment of the efforts and initiatives introduced, i.e., the effectiveness and impact on businesses, particularly MSMEs, and to consider the way forward by identifying key gaps and opportunities for policymakers and industry. As digital transactions are increasingly cross-border, the session will also consider the role ASEAN can play in leading greater regional collaboration between stakeholders, such as through the adoption of international digital payment standards, to drive greater technical and regulatory alignment, and ensure coherent and inclusive development of the region’s digital transactions landscape.
This event is jointly organised and supported by TRPC and the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) as part of the Australian Government funded ASEAN-Australia Digital Trade Standards Initiative.
Keynote Speaker
- Pia Bernadette Roman Tayag, Director, Office of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA)
Panel Speakers
- Nimisha Tailor, Consultant, TRPC
- Debbie Watkins, Chief Executive Officer of Lucy
- Anthony Thomas, Chairman, MoMo (M_Service)
- Vacharakoon Jivakanont, Deputy Director, Payment Systems Policy, Bank of Thailand
- Lito Villanueva, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation and Inclusion Officer, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)
Photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash
