onevisiononeidentityonecommunityInvestinASEANASEANInvestmentReport2018ForeignDirectInvestmentandtheDigitalEconomyinASEAN:ASEAN:@ASEAN:(Oct.21).indd121/10/201817:35:39ASEANInvestmentReport2018ForeignDirectInvestmentandtheDigitalEconomyinASEANTheASEANSecretariatUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopmentAIR2018_FRONTMATTER_(Oct.21).indd121/10/201817:35:39TheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)wasestablishedon8August1967.TheMemberStatesoftheAssociationareBruneiDarussalam,Cambodia,Indonesia,LaoPDR,Malaysia,Myanmar,Philippines,Singapore,ThailandandVietNam.TheASEANSecretariatisbasedinJakarta,Indonesia.Forinquiries,contact:TheASEANSecretariatCommunityRelationsDivision(CRD)70AJalanSisingamangarajaJakarta12110IndonesiaPhone:(6221)724-3372,726-2991Fax:(6221)739-8234,724-3504E-mail:public@asean.orgCatalogue-in-PublicationDataASEANInvestmentReport2018–ForeignDirectInvestmentandtheDigitalEconomyinASEANJakarta:ASEANSecretariat,November2018332.673951.ASEAN–Investment2.Economics–ForeignDirectInvestmentISBN978-602-5798-24-5ASEAN:ACommunityofOpportunitiesforAllThetextofthispublicationmaybefreelyquotedorreprinted,providedproperacknowledgementisgivenandacopycontainingthereprintedmaterialissenttotheCommunityRelationsDivision(CRD)oftheASEANSecretariat,JakartaGeneralinformationonASEANappearsonlineattheASEANWebsite:(ASEAN)2018.Allrightsreserved.ThispublicationwaspreparedbytheASEANSecretariatandtheUnitedNationsConferenceonTradeandDevelopment(UNCTAD),andsupportedbytheGovernmentofAustraliathroughtheASEAN-AustraliaDevelopmentCooperationProgramPhaseII(AADCPII).Themapinthispublicationisonlyindicativeandisnotdrawntoscale.DisclaimerTheASEANInvestmentReportisproducedtofacilitateabetterunderstandingofFDIdevelopmentsinASEAN.Thefindings,interpretations,andanalysisintheReportshouldbetreatedwithcare,asworkonharmonisingandimprovingFDIqualityacrosstheregionison-going.TheASEANSecretariatandUNCTADhavetakenduediligenceinthepreparationofthispublication.However,itshallnotbeheldliableforanyomissionsorinaccuraciesinthecontentofthispublication.NeithertheASEANSecretariat,UNCTADandtheGovernmentofAustraliaacceptsanyliabilityforanyclaims,lossorexpensesthatmayariseorarisingfromuseofinformationinthispublication.Relianceontheinformationisattheuser’ssolerisk/responsibility.AIR2018_FRONTMATTER_(Oct.21).indd321/10/201817:35:39AIR2018_FRONTMATTER_(Oct.21).indd421/10/201817:35:39vFOREWORDDatoLimJockHoiSecretary-GeneralofASEANAIR2018_FRONTMATTER_(Oct.21).indd521/10/201817:35:39FOREWORDFDIflowstoASEANrosetoarecordlevel,from$123billionin2016to$137billionin2017,underpinnedbysignificantriseininvestmentineightMemberStates.Asaresult,ASEAN’sshareofFDIflowstodevelopingeconomiesrosefrom18percentin2016to20percentin2017.OfthetotalFDIflowstoEastandSouth-EastAsia,ASEAN’ssharealsoincreasedfrom31percentin2016to34percentin2017.Intra-ASEANinvestments,thebiggestcontributortoFDIflowsintheregion,reachedanewhighof$27billion,oraround19percenttototalinflowsintheregion.AnimportantdevelopmentinASEANistherisinginvestmentinthedigitaleconomy,whichincludese-commerce,fintech,venturecapitalandotherdigitalactivitiessuchasinthedevelopmentofdatacentresandvariousinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)infrastructure.ForeignandASEANdigitalMNEsandICTcompaniesarenowincreasingtheirattentionontheregion.Greenfieldnon-manufacturingICTinvestmentprojectshavegrownrapidlyfrom$2.8billionin2010to$3.9billionin2017,whilecross-borderICTmergersandacquisitionsrosefromjust$172millionin2010to$3.6billionin2017.Attheregionallevel,ASEANMemberStatesareintensifyingcooperationtostrengthenthecompetitivenessoftheirICTindustries,expande-commerceandfacilitatedigitalconnectivity,includingthroughworkingtowardsthesigningofanASEANe-commerceagreementandadoptionofanASEANDigitalIntegrationFrameworktofacilitatetransformationoftheregionintoacompetitiveglobaldigitalhub.Giventheabovedevelopmentsandthepromisingprospectforinvestmentinthedigitaleconomyintheregion,thisyear’sASEANInvestmentReportisverytimely.The2018Reportlooksintotheinvestmentlandscapeandimplicationsofdigitaleconomyande-CommerceinASEAN,andalsodiscussesthepolicyoptionsanddigitaleconomystrategyfortheregion.ASEANneedstokeepthemomentumofrisinginvestmentintheICTsectorbyintensifyingitscollectiveefforttonarrowthedigitaldivide,developdigitalskills,addresslogisticalbottlenecksandpaymentsystems,andmanagethepotentialrisksofthedigitalrevolution,asitmovesforwardtoembracethefourthindustrialrevolution(4IR).DatoLimJockHoiSecretary-GeneralofASEANAIR2018_FRONTMATTER_(Oct.21).indd621/10/201817:35:39viiACKNOWLEDGEMENTSTheASEANInvestmentReport2018waspreparedunderatechnicalcooperationagreementbetweentheASEANSecretariatandtheUNCTADDivisiononInvestmentandEnterprise(DIAE).ThereportwaspreparedandwrittenbyWeeKeeHweewithcontributionsfromKarimKirollosandMariaCecil