Mustapa: Post-COVID-19 plan the highlight of 27th IMT-GT ministerial meeting

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the five key issues will be carried out through the IMT-GT Implementation Blueprint (IB) 2022-2026.

"A corridor-based regional integration approach; the role of the private sector as a driver of economic growth; empowering Institutions in the IMT-GT area are key issues in implementing the post-COVID-19 set plans.

"Apart from that, the focus should also be on inclusive growth and more focus on the development of the green and blue economies," he said in a press statement after chairing the online meeting today.

Mustapa said development in the IMT-GT area would be centred on the Sustainable Urban Development Framework (SUDF) to support the transformation of environmental, economic and energy development.

He also said that climate change is a potential threat and should be addressed immediately through the SUDF.

"Countries will suffer huge losses if climate change is not addressed immediately.

"Therefore, a collaboration between IMT-GT members is necessary to formulate a post-COVID-19 recovery plan, including the opening of severely affected sectors, especially tourism," he said.

The meeting was also attended by the Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, Thai Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Asian Development Bank vice-president (Southeast Asia, East Asia and Pacific) Ahmed M. Saeed, and ASEAN secretary-general Datuk Lim Jock Hoi.

According to the statement, a combination of 32 states and territories from the three IMT-GT member countries with a population of 85.1 million has economic growth potential with a broad market.

Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Perak, Perlis, Penang and Selangor have benefitted from previous programmes implemented by the IMT-GT, it added.

The aim of the meeting, which was also attended by senior IMT-GT officials as well as representatives from the ministries and state governments involved, was to find the best way to unite the sub-regions in the three countries in socio-economic development, business and networking.

The 28th IMT-GT Ministerial Meeting will be held in Thailand at the end of next year.