G20 Executive Talk Series

September 2016

GCEL

Co-authored by: Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thailand (1997-2001), Secretary General, ASEAN (2008-2012)
Captain Samuel Salloum, Co-Chairman, Global Coalition for Efficient Logistics (GCEL)

The E-Hub of the World
is a Must

TODAY WE LIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY ERA. THE BIG QUESTION WE SHOULD BE ASKING IS: WHAT CAN TECHNOLOGY DO TODAY TO HELP REBUILD OUR GLOBAL ECONOMY?

“Necessity is the mother of invention – when the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it”.
Oxford English Dictionary

For nearly a decade, despite all available monetary, fiscal, and trade policies being exercised, the global economy steadfastly remains in a sub- optimal condition. In an interconnected world we all need to find a new inventive way of building a sustainable foundation for the next generation to take on and build the kind of future that we aspire for them – and we need to be inventive given the virtually insurmountable challenges that abound! However, I remain optimistic and hopeful that the ingenuity of man will prevail, for in the midst of the despair, a glimmer of hope is breaking through the dark economic clouds, a digital ray of sunshine that provides the promise of a brighter future for the global economy.

Global economic experts agree that the Digital Economy has the power to increase global GDP (USD 73 Trillion) by 10% and create 100 million jobs if it is plugged into the global B2B marketplace.

For nearly a decade, despite all available monetary, fiscal, and trade policies being exercised, the global economy steadfastly remains in a sub- optimal condition. In an interconnected world we all need to find a new inventive way of building a sustainable foundation for the next generation to take on and build the kind of future that we aspire for them – and we need to be inventive given the virtually insurmountable challenges that abound! However, I remain optimistic and hopeful that the ingenuity of man will prevail, for in the midst of the despair, a glimmer of hope is breaking through the dark economic clouds, a digital ray of sunshine that provides the promise of a brighter future for the global economy.

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