ASEAN should roll up sleeves to kick-start recovery plan

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) speaks at the ASEAN Leaders' Interface with representatives of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC). Photo: VGP

This requires greater efforts from the governments and people of ASEAN countries, in which businesses play an important role, Phuc said.

He said the regional leaders look forwards to hearing practical proposals from the business communities on how to mitigate negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and gradually recover business activities toward a cohesive and strong ASEAN community.

The Government chief shared his sympathies over the hardships that the regional businesses have encountered in the face of the COVID-19 panemic, with disrupted demand-supply chains and contradition of the financial market as the prominent evidence.

Businesmen are those who clearly feel the heat of the health crisis as many production facilities had to shut down or even dissolve, especially in service sector, Phuc said.

He affirmed that ASEAN governments will spare no effort to supporting the regional business communities to overcome the challenges caused by the epidemic.

Those efforts have been consistently reflected in the documents adopted by ASEAN over the past months, including the ASEAN Chair’s Statement on ASEAN collective response to COVID-19 outbreak and the Declaration of the Special ASEAN Summit on COVID-19.

ASEAN economic ministers have convened a number of online meetings to work out concreate measures related to customs clearance, tax, supply chain among others to support businesses, he added.

By Quang Minh