Strategy 9: Accelerate further opening up of ASEAN Member States to investments
from within and beyond the region under fair investment rules
29. Benefits from the initiatives toward an interconnected ASEAN are best enhanced with increased
investments from domestic investors, foreign investors from within the region, and from the rest of the
world. Increased investments have been key enablers of robust economic and trade growth in virtually
all the economic success stories in the developing world in recent decades. Thus, it is important for the
ASEAN Member States to be attractive investment destinations. At present, ASEAN Member States
vary widely in terms of investment attractiveness, with international rankings on global competitiveness
and ease of doing business ranging from one of the world’s best to among one of the world’s lowest.
One pressing challenge is how to substantially improve the investment attractiveness of the investment
lagging countries in the region, thereby ensuring that the benefits from ASEAN Connectivity become
more widespread within the region.
30. Greater physical connectivity as well as regulatory and institutional improvements in order to ease
the flow of goods and services in the region is expected to improve the attractiveness of the ASEAN
region as an investment destination. The further opening up of the ASEAN Member States to foreign
investments from the region and the rest of the world as well as ensuring a fair investment regime for
both domestic and foreign investors will also improve further the investment attractiveness of ASEAN
Member States.