Seminar on ASEAN Regional Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy

Seminar on ASEAN Regional Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy

The National Economic Council (DEN), in collaboration with the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO), successfully convened the seminar “Navigating Global Uncertainty: Sustaining Growth and Stability in ASEAN” on 25 May 2026 in Jakarta.

Bringing together policymakers, economists, academics, researchers, private sector representatives, and development partners, the seminar served as a platform to discuss the regional economic outlook, the implications of global uncertainty for ASEAN economies, and fiscal policy strategies to sustain growth and strengthen resilience.

The event featured opening remarks by Luhut B. Pandjaitan, Chairman of the National Economic Council; Suahasil Nazara, Vice Minister of Finance of Indonesia; and Firman Hidayat, Member of the National Economic Council.

The first panel discussion, “Global Uncertainty and Regional Economic Integration,” featured Allen Ng, Group Head and Lead Economist at AMRO; Dong He, Chief Economist of AMRO; Yose Rizal Damuri, Executive Director of the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force; and Edi Prio Pambudi, Deputy for Coordination of Economic Cooperation and Investment. The session was moderated by I Made Krisna Yudhayana, Advisor to the National Economic Council.

The second panel discussion, “Fiscal Policy Under Global Uncertainty,” featured Seung Hyun (Luke) Hong, Group Head and Lead Economist at AMRO; Mehwish Ashraf, Senior Country Economist at the World Bank; and Rubino Sugana, Principal Advisor on Revenue. The session was moderated by Byunghoon Nam, Senior Economist at AMRO.

Drawing on the findings of the ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO) 2026 and the ASEAN+3 Fiscal Policy Report (AFPR) 2026, discussions highlighted the importance of maintaining policy flexibility, strengthening fiscal resilience, and deepening regional cooperation to navigate an increasingly uncertain global environment while preserving macroeconomic and financial stability.

Attended by approximately 130 participants, the seminar reaffirmed the importance of regional dialogue and cooperation in supporting sustainable and resilient growth across ASEAN and the broader ASEAN+3 region. Presentation materials shared during the seminar are available for download below.