An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2024

ANINTRODUCTIONTO DoingBusinessinASEAN 2024 InvestmentOpportunitiesinASEAN’sRenewable EnergyIndustry SpecialFocus VISITUSONFACEBOOK <DezanShira&Associates> <ASEANBriefing> VISITUSONLINKEDIN <DezanShira&Associates> <ASEANBriefing> FOLLOWUSONTWITTER @DezanShira@ASEANBriefing THEDOINGBUSINESSINASIAGUIDESSERIES AvailabletoDownloadNow: DoingBusinessinIndonesiaandSingaporePortals •ChinaGuide •IndiaGuide •VietnamGuide •IndonesiaGuide •HongKongGuide •SingaporeGuide •ChinaSuperCityClusters •DubaiGuide OurlatestonlineDoingBusinessinIndonesiaandSingapore Portalsconsistsof100+guides,videos,publications,andtoolsthatarepracticalandeasytonavigate,covering:WhyIndonesia/Singapore,RegionstoInvest,SectorInsights,HowtoSetup,Tax,AuditandAccounting,HR,Recruitment,PEO,andPayroll,News,Events,andmore. ThiseditionofDoingBusinessinASEANwasproducedbyateamofprofessionalsatDezanShira&Associates,withAymanFalakandArendseHuldasEditors. CreativedesignoftheguidewasprovidedbyMiguelEnricoAnciano. ©2024DezanShira&Associates Disclaimer Thecontentsofthisguideareforgeneralinformationonly.Foradviceonyourspecificbusiness,pleasecontactaqualifiedprofessionaladvisor.Copyright2024,AsiaBriefingLtd.Noreproduction,copying,ortranslationofmaterialswithoutpriorpermissionofthepublisherispermitted. AboutDezanShira&Associates AtDezanShira&Associates,ourmissionistoguideforeigncompaniesthroughAsia’scomplexregulatoryenvironmentandassistthemwithallaspectsofestablishing,maintainingandgrowingtheirbusinessoperationsintheregion.Sinceitsestablishmentin1992,DezanShira&AssociateshasgrownintooneofAsia’smostversatilefull-serviceconsultancieswithoperationalofficesacrossChina,HongKong,India,SingaporeandVietnam,aswellasliaisonofficesinItaly,GermanyandtheUnitedStates,andpartnerfirmsacrosstheASEANregion.Withover30yearsofon-the-groundexperienceandalargeteamofprofessionaladvisers,weareyourreliablepartnerinAsia. Preface AnIntroductiontoDoingBusinessinASEAN2024,thelatestpublicationfromDezanShira&AssociatesisoutnowandavailablefordownloadthroughtheAsiaBriefingPublicationStore. TheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations(ASEAN)wasestablishedin1967byIndonesia,Malaysia,Philippines,Singapore,andThailandtoacceleratetheeconomicgrowthandsocialdevelopmentintheregion.BruneiDarussalamjoinedin1987,Vietnamin1995,LaoDPRandMyanmarin1997,andCambodiain1999. TheonsetoftheCOVID-19pandemic,followedbytheRussia-UkrainecrisisseverelyimpactedASEANeconomiesthroughrisinginflation,witheconomiesintheregiongrowingatanaverage4.2percentin2023.Inresponse,ASEANmembershavequickenedthepaceofkeyreformstoimprovetheeaseofdoingbusinessandattractforeigninvestmentinnewareas,suchashigh-valuemanufacturingcapabilitiesanddigitaltechnology. For2024,theASEAN-6economiesareexpectedtoshowcollectivegrowthof4.6percent,drivenbydemandfromChinaisexpectedtoriseaswellasthegradualpick-upinconsumptionintheUnitedStates.DespitethegloomyheadlinessurroundingChina’seconomy,manufacturingcontinuestoslowlygrowwhichwillhaveapositivespillovereffectinSoutheastAsia. ASEANishometomorethan600millionpeople(largerthantheEUandNorthAmerica)andhasthethird-largestlaborforcebehindIndiaandChina.Sinceitsinception,theblochasseengrowthinmyriadsectors,suchasmanufacturing,retail,transportation,andtelecommunications.Theblocisexpectedtobecometheworld’sfourthlargesteconomyby2030withdomesticconsumptionexpectingtoreachUS$4trillion. Thispublication,designedtointroducethefundamentalsofinvestinginASEAN,wascompiledbyexpertsatDezanShira&Associates,aspecialistforeigndirectinvestmentpractice,providingcorporateestablishment,businessintelligence,taxadvisoryandcompliance,accounting,payroll,duediligenceandfinancialreviewservicestomultinationalsinvestinginemergingAsia. CONTACT DezanShira&Associatesindonesia@dezshira.comwww.dezshira.com AnIntroductiontoDoingBusinessinASEAN2024coversthefollowing: •Corporateestablishment; •Taxandaccounting; •Humanresourcesandpayroll;and •Auditandcompliance. ALBERTOVETTORETTI ManagingPartnerDezanShira&Associates What’sNewinThisGuide? ASEANcountrieshaveimplementedanarrayofregulatoryreformsasthebloclookstoincreaseitsattractivenessasadestinationforforeigninvestment.Thelevelandtypeofreformsvariesbetweenmembers.Indonesiaforinstance,hasenacteditsbiggestattemptatbureaucraticreformsinceindependence. WeprovidehighlightsofsomeofthekeychangesinASEANstates. Cambodia Cambodiaissuedadecreefornewincometaxthresholdsfor2023,andalsointroducedaLawonInvestment.TheLawgovernsbothdomesticandforeigninvestmentsinthecountry.TheCambodiangovernmentfirstenactedthepredecessortotheLawin1995andamendeditin2003. TheLawaimstomodernizeandstreamlineCambodia’sinvestmentenvironment,bringingregulationscloserinlinewithASEANbestpractices. Indonesia In2020,theIndonesiangovernmentpassedtheLawonJobCreation(OmnibusLaw),morecommonlyknownastheOmnibusLawduetoitswidescopeofprovisions.However,duetolegaldisputes,thelawwasorderedtoberectified,andinMarch2023,thegovernmentpassedtheGovernmentRegulationinLieuofLawNo.2of2022onJobCreation,intheprocessrepealingthe2020law. TheOmnibusLawistoutedasIndo