ASEAN Investment Promotion Agencies Kick-Start Acitivities under Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan (RIPAP)

Vientiane and Kuala Lumpur, 8-10 October 2024 – Following the launch of the Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan (RIPAP) during ASEAN Investment Forum (AIF) in 7 October 2024, the Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) from 7 (seven) ASEAN Member States participated in a Workshop in Vientiane, Lao PDR (8 October 2024) and Study Tour to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (10-11 October 2024) that aims to enhance their capacity to promote investment into the region. 

The workshop provided detailed overview on RIPAP implementation including the timeline for the actions in 2025, which targets a specific action towards potential investors for futher engagement and collaboration. IPAs also shared their experiences on their efforts in attracting FDI, particularly on clean energy and infrastructure, and engaged in real exercise on the role of IPAs in supporting investor-ready projects, e.g. investor matchmaking and sector-specific support.

The workshop was further followed by 2-day study tour to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where IPAs had the chance to visit the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysia Digital Economy Cooperation (MDEC), Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), Microsoft Malaysia, and Aerodyne and Shell in Cyberjaya. During the study tour, the IPAs learned about how Malaysian government reforms its investment policy and how the reform has impacted the investment ecosystem in Malaysia.

The Workshop on Investment Promotion series were organised continuing from previous similar workshops supported by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), as part of the collaboration activities between UNESCAP and the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Investment (CCI).