Despite passage of key laws MANILA, Philippines — More foreign portfolio investments or speculative funds left the Philippines in February despite the passage of key laws to attract more investors amid the ongoing global health crisis, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Data released by the central bank showed foreign portfolio investment yielded […]
Read MorePETALING JAYA: The country’s household debt levels remain elevated as at end-2020, with the lower-income population continuing to be financially stretched amid the weakness in economic conditions. In its Financial Stability Review for the second half of 2020, Bank Negara said borrowers earning less than RM3,000 monthly faced low financial buffers and substantially higher leverage. […]
Read MoreUnder-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 […]
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