A major shake-up in Myanmar’s administration is in the pipeline as the government tries to tackle obstacles that stand in the way of economic progress, improved transparency and a more efficient bureaucracy. The new strategy will concentrate on personnel, policies and reform, according to government insiders. “The government needs to urgently deal with corruption, bureaucratic […]
Read MoreMANILA, Philippines — Think tanks Focus Economics and BMI Research said the pace of economic expansion in the Philippines would further ease over the next two years after peaking at nearly seven percent in 2016. Massimo Bassetti, economist at Focus Economics, said they see the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowing to 6.6 percent […]
Read MoreConcerns of disruption and job losses are mounting among Myanmar’s gold leaf makers as demand rises for a swifter, more economical option to produce gold leaf sheets, used mainly for gilding at religious structures like pagodas. Now that machines capable of manufacturing gold leaf sheets are more readily available and affordable, the handmade industry is […]
Read MoreDespite Bank Indonesia (BI) prohibiting the use of digital currencies like Bitcoin as a payment instrument, the central bank is considering issuing a cryptocurrency or digital rupiah. Assistant to BI executive director for payment systems Susiato Dewi said the digital rupiah would be trialled this year in an effort to help make the payment system more efficient. “The physical banknotes we currently use may be converted […]
Read MoreBusinesses and factories may soon be required to increase the minimum wage from the present 900,000 kip to 1.1 million kip a month in a bid to improve workers’ standard of living. This message was reiterated at a meeting last week attended by Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Dr Khampheng Saysompheng, and representatives of […]
Read MoreONLY 14 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises here intend to expand ovearseas while almost half had no interest in taking their business beyond Singapore in the near future, a survey found. In the poll by QBE Insurance of more than 400 firms, 45 per cent said that they will not explore expansion across […]
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Thailand
