Government

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) introduced eight core programs for the 2020-2025 period and reviewed results achieved by the information and communications (ICT) sector in the past five years at the 5th Congress of the Ministry’s Party Committee held in Hanoi on 18 August. During the 2015-2020 ...

The cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of one billion baht to support the development and manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines. The money will be used by the National Vaccine Institute and other related agencies to domestically produce vaccines that can tackle the virus as well as ...

An elevated fiscal deficit will result in growing public debt, which will ramp up pressure on Laos’ debt servicing capacity amid the COVID-19 crisis, the Vientiane Times reported on August 21. The Lao Government has estimated that the budget deficit will rise from 6.69 trillion kip (700 million USD) , ...

The Union Election Commission (UEC) reversed its decision and decided to allow the People’s Alliance for Credible Elections (PACE), a local poll monitor, to observe the conduct of the upcoming November 8 polls. Sai Ye Kyaw Swar Myint, executive director of the PACE, said the UEC ...

According to VietNamNet’s source, the Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security has prosecuted Mr. Nguyen Hong Truong, former Deputy Minister of Transport, for breaching the regulations on the use of state assets, causing waste and losses. The investigation agency has also applied ...

The UK Government and the Bank of Thailand (BoT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), forming a strategic partnership on financial services to support Thailand’s inclusive economic recovery and green growth in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the MoU signed on 7 ...

The public debt of Laos may increase to as much as 65 to 68 per cent of GDP in 2020 following a sharp fall in national revenue collection alongside an increase in loans due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, according to a government official. Revenue collection ...

The ASEAN Secretariat has hosted an online conference to strengthen efforts, coordination and preparation for tackling transboundary haze pollution, which is predicted to peak in August and September. The event, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s Measurable Action for Haze-Free Sustainable Land Management in Southeast Asia ...

A Bangkok court on Friday agreed to grant class action status to more than 700 Cambodian families suing a Thai sugar firm for evicting them from their homes, a lawsuit that human rights experts see as a test case for transboundary disputes. The lawsuit against Asia’s ...

The recent resignations of economic tsar Somkid Jatusripitak, the former deputy prime minister, and four economic ministers including former Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, have ignited concerns about planned big-ticket infrastructure development projects such as the government’s flagship Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). The Bangkok Post sat down for an ...