The recent surge in Covid-19 cases in Southeast Asia has throttled ports and locked down plantations and processors, sparking extended disruptions of raw materials such as palm oil, coffee and tin. Restrictions in Malaysia, the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, have prevented migrant laborers from traveling to plantations, raising prices of the ubiquitous edible […]
Read MoreMANILA, Philippines — The World Bank Group would cease publication of its “Ease of Doing Business” report — past results of which were protested by the Philippines twice — after a former official was found to have ordered staff to manipulate data to please China. In a statement on Friday, the Washington-based multilateral lender said it […]
Read MoreBEIJING: China on Friday began in earnest work to advance its application to become a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal, a day after filing a bid to join the pact in an attempt to increase its economic clout in the Asia-Pacific region. Chinese accession would have a significant impact on trade in […]
Read MoreThe ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 envisions ASEAN as a “leading digital community and economic bloc” – a bold plan that demands effective investments in infrastructure and skills. The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) organised the webinar, “Investing in Digital Infrastructure: Narrowing the Digital Divide in ASEAN”. Moderated by Mr Satyanarayan Ramamurthy, Partner and Head […]
Read MoreEven as they struggle with one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks, nations across Southeast Asia are slowly realising that they can no longer afford the economy-crippling restrictions needed to squash it. On the factory floors of Vietnam and Malaysia, in the barbershops of Manila or office towers of Singapore, regulators are pushing forward with […]
Read MoreGovernments and central banks in Asia may be losing their appetite for the fiscal and monetary policies needed to stimulate their ailing economies as “pandemic fatigue” sets in. The region’s leaders “adapted admirably to the pandemic” in early 2020 according to Moody’s Analytics Senior APAC Economist Katrina Ell and Associate Economist Dave Chia. With the […]
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Thailand
