SEREMBAN, Sept 10 (Bernama) — The 12th Working Group on Statistics of International Trade in Services (WGSITS12) is an important platform for ASEAN to strengthen cooperation, enhance comparability, and improve the quality and timeliness of trade in services statistics in line with international standards.
Malaysia’s chief statistician and chair of the 15th ASEAN Community Statistical System Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said reliable and forward-looking statistics are essential to support ASEAN policy formulation, economic integration, and sustainable development.
“In today’s rapidly evolving global economy, international trade in services statistics must adapt to digitalisation, new business models, and current shifts in investment flows.
“Through WGSITS, we ensure that the ASEAN statistical systems remain relevant, comparable, and trusted to drive evidence-based decisions and sustainable regional growth,” he said in a statement.
He said WGSITS12 is a platform to review the progress of past initiatives and chart direction for the next five years. Delegates discussed achievements and challenges in compiling and sharing statistics on trade in services, including how data is collected and published regionally.
Mohd Uzir said the meeting focused on preparing a new work plan for 2026–2030, aligning services trade statistics with ASEAN’s broader economic goals.
He said participants exchanged views on strengthening cooperation via the ASEAN-Help-ASEAN framework, and were updated on upcoming international guidelines that will shape the future of trade in services statistics.
He said delegates noted ASEAN’s strong performance in international trade in services in 2024, which rose by 12.2 per cent to US$1.29 trillion.
He said exports rose by 14 per cent to US$667.9 billion and imports rose by 10.2 per cent to US$618.5 billion, resulting in a US$49.3 billion trade surplus.
“Intra-ASEAN trade in services also grew, with exports rising by 13.1 per cent to US$92 billion, and imports up by 13.3 per cent to US$85.9 billion, accounting for nearly 14 per cent of the region’s total services trade,” he said.
He said this positive momentum reflects a recovery in tourism and transport services, as well as continued growth in digital and business services across ASEAN.
As part of Malaysia’s chairmanship, the Statistics Department presented its national work plan and shared experiences compiling Statistics of International Trade in Services (SITS) to improve data quality, enhance timeliness, and strengthen coverage in line with international standards.
“This work plan also reflects Malaysia’s initiatives to integrate survey systems, deepen collaboration with key stakeholders, and address compilation challenges via innovation and technical improvements,” he said.
He added that the outcomes of WGSITS12 will contribute to aligning ASEAN statistical initiatives with the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026–2030 and ASEAN’s post-2025 development vision.
Twenty-two participants attended the Sept 8-9 WGSITS12 from ASEAN member countries, with representatives from Malaysia and the ASEAN secretariat.
— BERNAMA
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
