SEREMBAN: 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.
Mohd Uzir added delegates observed that Asean’s international trade in services expanded 12.2% in 2024 to US$1.29 trillion (RM5.4 trillion).
He said exports rose by 14% to US$667.9 billion and imports rose by 10.2% 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% to US$92 billion, and imports up by 13.3% to US$85.9 billion, accounting for nearly 14% 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