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Heidi Mah joined the Council as a Manager in November 2020 and is responsible for the ICT and Singapore portfolios.
(Washington, DC) The US-ASEAN Business Council and its members congratulate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden and Senator Kamala D. Harris on their victory in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election. The Council salutes and congratulates the American people whose turnout is projected to be the largest in American history, proving that the American Experiment which started with the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, is alive and well. Furthermore, we are proud to see Vice President-elect Harris make history by becoming the first woman and first bi-racial American to ever hold the position. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris garnered more than 74 million votes and counting – more than any other presidential slate in U.S. history.
(Indonesia) – The US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) brought a delegation of 31 American companies to Indonesia to engage with key Indonesian government officials as a part of its 2020 Indonesia Virtual Business Mission, held 19-28 October 2020. The virtual mission was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the Indonesia Maju Cabinet.
70 executives representing multiple industries met with Indonesian policymakers and local chambers of commerce to discuss key issues affecting Indonesia’s economic recovery including the ease of doing business and the recently passed omnibus law, consultative and transparent regulatory frameworks, digital transformation and innovation in healthcare. The delegation shared its committed support for President Joko Widodo’s agenda of bureaucratic reforms and improving the business environment, as well as support for the acceleration of Indonesia’s Post-COVID-19 Economic recovery.
Beginning on October 4, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) engaged a number of top Malaysian officials on Malaysia’s economic recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the nation’s position as a regional and global trading hub, and Malaysia’s continued digital transformation, as a part of USABC’s annual Malaysia Business Mission. This was the first year the annual business mission was conducted virtually. The delegation engaged with key ministers and government officials from the Perikatan Nasional Government that came into office in March this year. This engagement is part of the Council’s continued effort to highlight the commitment of the American business community to Malaysia’s dynamic growth and to support Malaysia’s recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 14, nearly 150 owners and executives of Singapore SMEs participated in the webinar titled “Digital Transformation for Singapore SMEs during COVID-19.” The webinar is a collaborative event from the US-ASEAN Business Council with support from Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Business Federation. The event was part of a broader webinar series in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The webinar was officially opened by Ambassador Michael W. Michalak, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of the US-ASEAN Business Council and Mr. Douglas Foo, BBM, Chairman of Sakae Holding Ltd. and Vice Chairman of Singapore Business Federation. There was also a keynote address from Mr. Ted Tan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of ESG.
On 1-10 September 2020, the Council led a delegation of 25 companies in a virtual business mission to the Philippines and engaged key Philippine government officials on key interests and priorities. US-ABC Chairman, President & CEO Alexander Feldman highlighted that the delegation’s size and multisectoral composition highlight the continued importance of the Philippines as a market for U.S. companies despite COVID-19 challenges. “We believe the Philippines’ strong macroeconomic fundamentals will bolster the country’s efforts to address COVID-19 health challenges and safely reopen more economic activities,” said Mr. Feldman.
The US-ASEAN Business Council led its 21st consecutive delegation to the 52nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM), beginning with a consultative plenary session with all ten ASEAN Economic Ministers Co- Chaired by Vietnam Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh, and the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. Over the next two weeks, US-ABC delegates will hold a series of bilateral meetings with heads of delegation from ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, U.S. Government officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), and the U.S. Mission to ASEAN.