The Nikkei ASEAN Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, decreased marginally in September, but signaled a further improvement in operating conditions across the region.
Clear divisions are emerging among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) over Myanmar’s military operations in Rakhine state, a diplomatic divide that threatens to split the regional grouping on religious lines.
A China-led infrastructure investment bank has given its go-ahead for a US$207.63-million (Bt6.919-billion) share in financing the project aimed at improving flood management in Metro Manila.
Are minilaterals the future of ASEAN security?
The Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines Trilateral Maritime Patrol (Indomalphi) implemented its first joint patrol in June 2017. Almost a year since signing the trilateral framework in August 2016, the recent attack by the Maute group in the Philippines emphasised the urgent need for cooperation.
END OF THE ROAD FOR INDONESIA’S MOTORBIKES?
Motorbike regulations are creating more and more bumps in the road for commuters throughout Southeast Asia, as major cities try to curb two-wheelers to reduce traffic and air pollution.
Southeast Asia is on the verge of a logistics “boom” thanks to e-commerce, but will require huge investment in cities and last-mile networks to cope, says Pierre Poignant, the man behind the systems that keep Alibaba-owned Lazada moving.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should continue to push for trade liberalization and should consider inclusion in the China-led Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to counter rising protectionism in the West, said state-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
Hanno Stegmann, the chief executive of Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG), a joint venture (JV) between venture builder Rocket Internet and telecommunications firm Ooredoo, maintains that Rocket Internet and its affiliates are firmly committed to the markets of emerging Asia, even as competition rises in the region.
Revenue from ticket sales to foreigners visiting Cambodia’s Angkor archeological park hit 75.7 million U.S. dollars in the first nine months of 2017, up 70 percent compared to the same period last year, according to a press release on Sunday.
ambodia’s foreign ministry is not concerned by visa restrictions imposed on senior officials by the Trump administration, an official has said.
Cambodia slid further down the rankings of global competitiveness on this year’s Global Competitiveness Report, which showed the Kingdom dropping five notches on the annual index to hold its position as the second least competitive country in Asean after Laos.
The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell slightly to 50.4 in September from 50.7 in August.
Indonesia’s second e-commerce startup to go public, digital kiosk service provider M Cash Integrasi (MCI), has set its IPO price at between Rp 1,300 and Rp 1,450 ($0.097 – $0.11), DEALSTREETASIA has learnt.
Go-Jek, Indonesia’s first billion-dollar startup, is looking to expand its ride-hailing services to three to four countries in Southeast Asia, escalating its rivalry with Grab and Uber Technologies Inc.
The Japanese government recently granted US$209,543 to support a job creation project for people with disabilities in Huaphan province.
The government is not planning to raise taxes in the 2018 Budget as it will burden the people currently dealing with the higher cost of living, said Second Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Entrepreneurs in Sabah stand to gain with the federal government more than doubling its financial assistance through the Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) from RM48 million to RM100 million next year.
The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) will not be making amendments to the Income Tax Act 1967 to allow companies exempted from audit by Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) to file returns using unaudited accounts.
MYANMAR has approved US$4.35 billion (Bt145 billion) in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first six months of fiscal year 2017-18 which started April 1, and hopes to receive much more in the second half, according to San Myint, deputy director general at the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.
He trekked to Bangladesh as part of an exodus of a half million people from Myanmar, the largest refugee crisis to hit Asia in decades. But after climbing out of a boat on a creek last Friday, Mohamed Rafiq could go no further.
Myanmar Investment Commission (MIC) is left to allow up to 15 foreign investments worth of US$400 million, said Deputy Director General San Myint from the Directorate of Investment and Companies Administration (DICA).
The Nikkei Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, edged up in September, indicating the continued subdued growth of the manufacturing economy.
THE Senate is set to look into the additional fee being imposed by telecommunication companies or telcos on subscribers who still want to receive their monthly bill in paper.
Chinese investors are excited about business opportunities in the Philippines, and after an early surge in the first half of this year, investment should grow steadily, according to the Philippines’ economic planning chief.
Global Logistic Properties (GLP) said on Monday it has agreed to acquire Gazely, a leading European logistics platform, for about $2.8 billion, as part of its expansion into Europe.
RIDE-hailing heavyweight Uber may be involved in a probe related to car purchases made by its car rental company Lion City Rental (LCR).
Commentary: Who’s responsible for combating corruption in Singapore?
Singapore is recognised around the world for its zero-tolerance stance on bribery and corruption. The country is the only Asian country to have consistently ranked among the top ten least corrupt countries in the world, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
The CEO of China’s largest international property website has predicted huge growth in the interest in Phuket property from Chinese buyers in the upcoming “Golden Week”, which this year starting from today (Oct 1) will be eight-days long as the National Day Golden Week coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Nikkei Thailand Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, rebounded to growth for the first time in three months in September, with both output and new orders growing.
MOIT eliminated 675 business and investment requirements, or 55.5 percent of the total preconditions for 27 business areas. With the move, the number of remaining conditions is 541 instead of the expected 752.
Warburg Pincus and Credit Suisse AG, have converted their preferred stocks, which they held after the $300 million investment into Vincom Retail, to collectively hold 20.22 per cent of the Vietnamese retailer.