Industries
Construction
Southeast Asia’s last major undammed river in crisis
China has suspended dams upstream of the Salween but the Myanmar government is pushing ahead with Chinese backed dams downstream, despite environmental costs and cheaper alternatives. From the snow-capped mountains of Tibet, the Salween rushes through steep gorges in Yunnan Province and flows through four of ...
Myanmar leader begins VN visit
Myanmar President Htin Kyaw and his wife Su Su Lwin arrived in Hà Nội on October 25 for a visit to Việt Nam at the invitation of President Trần Đại Quang. The three-day visit starting on October 26 aims to seek stronger co-operation between the two countries, especially ...
Massive $23.2B project gets ‘green light’
Several subordinates of a senior minister within the office of the prime minister registered and rubber-stamped a gargantuan $23.2 billion investment project chaired by the minister’s wife, while officials in the know say the project stands little chance of getting off the ground. The massive project ...
Kayah residents protest planned Pwunchaung dam
About 500 residents of Bawlakhe township, Kayah State, on October 11 protested plans to build a dam on Pwunchaung Stream, as water and soil examination continues. Transparency and environmental impact are the major concerns for the protestors, who already sent letters to the president and state ...
Industrial sector says policy details are needed to ensure economic zones grow
Poor infrastructure, low-quality or unreliable electricity supply, water shortages, inadequate transportation links, and ongoing disagreements with local residents affected by zone development are among the most serious problems developing the country’s industrial sector, experts say. But perhaps the biggest problem, they say, is the lack ...
Kamworks will harness sun to power residential tower
Kamworks Utility has clinched a deal to install and operate what could be the first commercial solar power system on a high-end residential tower in Cambodia, contributing to efforts to reduce elevated electricity costs through renewable energy, a company representative said on October 6. The Dutch-founded ...
Flooding remains severe in HCMC despite huge investment
HCMC is struggling with worsening flood issues despite huge spending on anti-flood projects over the years, said a recent conclusion signed by chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong on illegal land reclamation on the city’s drainage systems. A lot of streets in the city are submerged after heavy ...
Hydropower plants or “hydropower bombs”?
The recent incident at Song Bung Hydropower Plant has alerted Vietnam to reconsider the construction of so many hydroelectric plants, which have been compared to “timebombs”. Those who visit the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang cannot miss Ma Pi Leng, one of the four most ...
Japanese construction giant to spend USD1bn on 50 projects in Vietnam
Tokyo-based contractor Kajima will team up with Indochina Land. Vietnam’s property market continues to ensnare Japanese firms. The latest: a partnership between Kajima and Hanoi-based developer Indochina Capital, which was unveiled on September 16, will officially begin in October. The resulting venture, ICC-Kajima, is expected to plough USD1 ...
Lao construction companies to benefit from planned railway
Twenty Lao companies will be selected as sub-contractors for construction work on the almost-US$6 billion railway that will link Vientiane to the Chinese border. But these companies must be sub-contracted by Chinese companies, who will supervise their work and provide technical assistance to ensure high quality ...