Economy and commerce
Vietnam, partners look to sign Pacific-rim trade pact in February
The Vietnamese government expects to sign an agreement with 11 other nations in early February to finalize their negotiated terms of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, taking another step to turn one of the most ambitious trade pacts into reality. According to local media, Minister of Industry and Trade ...
Vietnam adds flesh to regulatory bones to court more investment
Vietnam has issued detailed regulations for foreign investors in 17 business sectors in a drive to improve the investment climate of a fast-growing country blighted by bureaucracy, but now seeing record inflows of foreign capital. The new list of sectors specifies foreign investment ratios, the scope ...
ASEAN bloc readies for integration
Significant changes are not expected with the formal launch of the ASEAN Community on 31 December as 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations still need more time to work out and adjust key issues for integration under the community’s three pillars: the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ...
Vietnam lists 17 sectors open for foreign investment
The Vietnamese government has published a list of 17 business sectors that are open to foreign investors, with some conditions, in a bid to improve the investment environment following this year’s record inflow of foreign capital. Until now, Vietnam – often criticized for a lack of ...
Bangkok office space faces strong demand in 2016
Grade-A office space in Bangkok’s central business district (CBD) will fetch a higher occupancy rate next year, say property consultants. In addition, monthly rents will increase to more than 1,000 baht a square metre due to solid demand and limited new supply. Surachet Kongcheep, associate director of research at ...
Bank of Thailand lifts growth forecast for 2015, but trims 2016 estimate
The Bank of Thailand trimmed its 2016 economic growth forecast on Friday, reflecting expectations of zero export growth and suggesting the military government will continue to struggle with a sluggish economy. At the same time, the central bank nudged its growth estimate for this year up ...
China announces formal creation of Asian infrastructure bank
The China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been formally established and is expected to be operational early next year, and its head reaffirmed the lender will be “lean, clean and green”, Xinhua news agency said on 25 December. The setting up of the bank came after ...
Budget discussion cancelled as inflation concerns grow
Individual ministries will not be called to parliament to explain their budget requests for 2016-17 until debate begins in January in an effort to speed up the approval process, Myanmar MPs were told on 23 December. Parliamentarians arrived yesterday expecting to hear representatives from the ministries ...
Thai banks inefficient, says S&P
Academics have slammed the military’s iron grip on cyberspace following the 2014 coup. Surveillance and crackdown measures are creating a climate of fear and self-censorship, they argued. Since last year’s coup, the army has taken many steps to tackle content deemed sensitive or critical of the ...
Vietnam's credit growth quickens to 18 pct in 2015: central bank
Vietnam’s annual credit growth this year is expected to quicken to 18 percent, beating a previous government target of 17 percent, the State Bank of Vietnam said on 24 December. Keep reading ...
