In a keynote address at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum, the IMF’s managing director called on member states to lift productivity through structural reforms including easier access to finance, digital-skills upgrades and deeper economic integration. She noted the bloc is already the world’s fourth-largest economy and growing 25 % faster than the global average, but warned that reforms are needed to fully unlock its potential. The address underscored that while near-term growth momentum is strong in parts, long-term competitiveness hinges on policy clarity, trade liberalisation and private-sector dynamism.