Under-the-table payments, often required in administrative procedure categories and enforcement stages, has been compared to a “leech” that persistently causes pain to businesses and the public. The Prime Minister’s Administrative Procedure Reform Advisory Council mentioned the issue in its 2020 APCI (Administrative Procedures Compliance Costs Index) report. The report shows that unofficial expenses are required […]
Read MoreHalf of all micro and small businesses (MSBs) in Indonesia are either owned by women, or women play a key role in operating them. Including small shop owners, street food vendors and the like, these businesses make up the backbone of the Indonesian economy. The ills of the pandemic, however, have led to declining incomes […]
Read MoreHotel and airline operators have high hopes the upcoming Songkran celebration will revive sluggish tourism sentiment as the second wave of the pandemic wanes. Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive of Centara Hotels and Resorts, said forward booking for the Songkran week has been outstanding for the whole month, even though it pales in comparison to 2019 […]
Read MoreMANILA, Philippines — Singapore-based ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) has slashed its 2021 economic growth outlook for the Philippines amid continued difficulty in containing COVID-19 cases. In its latest ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook report, AMRO estimates that the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) may grow by 6.9 percent this year, much lower than its previous […]
Read MoreKUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic has provided Malaysia with an opportunity to reset and build stronger fundamentals on multiple fronts, says Bank Negara. Governor Datuk Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus (pic) said it was timely for the country to embark on reforms that emphasised on innovation-led growth. “The ‘3Ds’ of reforms which are accelerating digitalisation, rethinking […]
Read MoreMany sugar mills have had to shut down because they cannot compete with imports. After ATIGA (ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement) took effect, the tariff on sugar imports to Vietnam was slashed from 85 percent to 5 percent. As a result, while domestic output was in excess, Vietnam still had a trade deficit of 884,285 […]
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Thailand
