KUALA LUMPUR: Growing consumer markets and an expansion of production networks in Asia will continue to be a major driving force in promoting increased intra-regional trade within ASEAN. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin said measures taken by ASEAN governments to boost investments, as well as infrastructure development, would uphold the trend. œThe next step in the evolution of ASEAN as an economic bloc beyond free trade is the further integration of the member states economies, represented by the concept of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), he added. Muhyiddin said this in his speech at the opening of the ASEAN SME Showcase and Conference 2015 here today. He added that now is the time for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in ASEAN to assume a bigger role, as they would benefit the most in terms of trade and investment.
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