At the start of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the ASEAN region responded relatively well to the crisis compared with other parts of the world, with travel restrictions and country-wide lockdowns keeping the spread at bay. 

In April, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecast Southeast Asia's gross domestic product to grow at 4.4% in 2021, which would take the region back to pre-COVID-19 levels. 

However, in recent months many countries are facing a second and stronger onslaught of the pandemic, and are being forced to return to tighter controls while trying to roll out the vaccine as soon as possible to get the situation under control. 

What will this mean for the projected growth of ASEAN countries, and how will their economies recover as we head into 2022?

In this webinar, leading economists from the region shared their outlook for ASEAN, leveraging insights and data points from the new macroeconomic datasets available in Refinitiv Datastream.

The webinar discussed:

• Forecasting ASEAN’s growth—the outlook for 2021 and beyond
• The road to recovery—areas of opportunity, reforms, and investments
• The role of green and social finance for the region
• A look at the ASEAN economic data expansion for Refinitiv Datastream

Speakers

• Deborah Elms, Founder and Executive Director, Asian Trade Centre
• Riza Tyas, Head, Macroeconomic Group, Economic & Monetary Policy Department, Bank Indonesia
• James Villafuerte, Senior Economist, Southeast Asia Regional Department, Asian Development Bank
• Oliver Dancel-Fiszer, Head of Economic Content, London Stock Exchange Group/Refinitiv
• Wendy Yamazaki, Senior Director, Government Relations and Regulatory Strategy, Refinitiv
• Ramesh Subramaniam, Director General, Southeast Asia Regional Department, Asian Development Bank

The webinar was co-organized by Refinitiv and ADB SEADS.