Asean morning news for March 26

Asean morning news for March 26
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Asean morning newsAsean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

China’s Trade With Mekong Countries Reaches USD 260 Billion
China’s trade with five Mekong member countries – Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand – has reached over USD 260 billion as three years of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation have witnessed numerous achievements.
— KPL

BOC issues new guidelines for faster trade with ASEAN members
Trade facilitation among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to be smoother as new guidelines in the processing of electronic certificates of origin (e-CO) were issued.
— Manila Bulletin

PHL still an FDI laggard in region
THE Philippines is still one of the countries with the lowest inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI) in 2018, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.
— Business Mirror

Why is Asean being ignored in Indonesian presidential elections?: Jakarta Post contributor
The eyes of other Asean member states will be increasingly focused on Indonesia’s presidential election and its results, given Indonesia’s important role in the region.
— The Straits Times

South East Asia Could Be Fully Cashless in 7 Years: Here’s How Singapore Fares
A report recent released by Visa looks at Southeast Asia’s journey towards cashlessness. In it, 43% of Southeast Asia’s respondents expect their country to be completely cashless within the next seven years.
— Fintech News Singapore (media release) (blog)

Lazada, Mastercard team up to spur e-commerce growth in Southeast Asia
Lazada Group, a Singapore-based online shopping and selling platform, and Mastercard have entered into a five year partnership to develop Southeast Asia’s e-commerce ecosystem.
— Verdict

Grab rides on data in bid to offer SEA consumers ‘hyper-personal’ app
As part of its efforts to create an “everyday super app”, Grab increasingly is tapping customer data so it can better predict consumer demands and offer services that are “hyper-personal”.
— ZDNet

Singapore’s Top Law Firm Sees Cracks in Southeast Asia’s Credit Markets
Cracks are showing in Southeast Asia’s credit markets as struggling companies in troubled industries seek to repair their balance sheets, according to Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, which manages the largest network of corporate lawyers in the region.
— Bloomberg

Why fuel subsidies matter in Southeast Asia
Fuel subsidies have always played a significant role in Southeast Asia – most notably in oil producing states such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
— The Asean Post

Women’s Unpaid Work Needs Factoring In for Fairer ASEAN Economies
The Philippines and other ASEAN economies are experiencing stellar economic growth. Frontier technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as automation and robotics, the internet of things, 3D printing, blockchain and nanotechnologies are rapidly transforming economies.
— IDN InDepthNews

Chinese university offers scholarships for students from Mekong River countries
After launching a scholarship for students from the Lancang-Mekong river countries in 2018, Yunnan Minzu University has admitted 109 foreign students from Southeast Asia.
— Xinhua

Media Promotes BRI
Media has been considered as an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to promote understanding of politics, economics, culture among ASEAN, Asia Pacific and countries around the world.
— KPL

Planning a haze-free ASEAN
ASEAN’s vision of a haze-free region by 2020 looks increasingly cloudy by the day.
— The Asean Post

Using the Law to Empower the People of the Greater Mekong
I will never forget the moment I realized that I was in the wrong line of work. Soon after graduating from law school in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, I started a job with a local bank.
— Open Society Foundations

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Cambodia morning newsCambodia morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Cambodia Oppositionists Defend Seeking Rehabilitation as Hun Sen Issues New Threats
Five former officials from Cambodia’s banned opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party on Monday defended their decision to seek political rehabilitation with the government, saying they were trying to keep the country’s trade privileges from being withdrawn by Western countries over anti-democratic actions by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
— Radio Free Asia

Kingdom should be wary of EBA loss
The EU in October last year announced it would begin a formal procedure to withdraw its Everything But Arms (EBA) trade preferences from Cambodia in response to the Kingdom’s perceived lack of commitment to improve its current human and political rights situation.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Gov’t to buy power from companies
In a bid to end ongoing blackouts across the country, the government is planning to buy power from the private sector to supply households.
— Khmer Times

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning newsIndonesia morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Reducing barriers to gender inequality in Indonesia
Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s track record of considering gender representation in ministerial appointments is lauded in global circles. With nine women appointed to his cabinet, there are more female cabinet ministers in Indonesia than in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
— East Asia Forum

Election Cash Splash Spurs Southeast Asia’s Biggest Economy
Indonesia’s economy, the biggest in Southeast Asia, is getting a boost from an election campaign that’s kicking into high gear.
— Bloomberg

Indonesia to cancel 49-jet Boeing 737 deal
Indonesia’s national carrier Garuda has told Boeing it will cancel a multi-billion-dollar order for 49 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after the model was involved in two fatal crashes.
— The Asean Post

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

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Lao PDR morning newsLao PDR morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

China, Laos pledge to push forward bilateral ties
Visiting Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and Lao Vice Foreign Minister Khampao Ernthavanh have held diplomatic consultations and exchanged views on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern.
— China.org.cn

Vientiane, Korean firms sign on riverside project second phase
Vientiane authorities have signed a joint venture agreement with Korean consulting firms for the second phase of the Mekong River Integrated Management Project with construction expected to start in 2020.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

Laos, U.S. Celebrate Five Years Of Cooperation On Trade Facilitation, Economic Integration
Officials from the Governments of Laos and the United States celebrated the successful completion of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) LUNA II project at a ceremony at the Lao Plaza Hotel in Vientiane on Mar 22.
— KPL

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning newsMalaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

Govt still considering reducing electricity tariff
The government is scrutinising the proposal to reduce the electricity tariff in the country in line with the drop in the price of coal and natural gas in the global market, according to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
— The Sun Daily

Malaysia can recover from administrative, financial problems in 3 years: Mahathir
Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday (Mar 25) that the country will recover from its administrative and financial problems left behind by the previous government in three years time.
— Channel NewsAsia

Airbus: Work value in Malaysia sets to hit US$550mil
The value of Airbus work undertaken in Malaysia is set to hit US$550mil (RM2.24bil) per year by 2023, on the back of higher production rates, the company’s investment in its local subsidiaries and joint ventures, as well as potential new projects currently under evaluation.
— The Star Online

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning newsMyanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov
 

Myanmar to try growing, exporting more coffee as alternative to opium
Myanmar will develop and harvest coffee as an alternative crop to substitute opium poppy cultivation.
— Myanmar Times

Large banana supply from Myanmar to China
The banana price in Myanmar production areas has been stable in the last few weeks. There has been a slight decrease in some areas. People in the industry point out that the supply volume from Myanmar banana production areas recently exceeded 200 trucks per day.
— Fresh Plaza

Advancing in ease of doing business index involves effective communication, says official
Myanmar is trying hard to elevate its rank on the World Bank’s ease of doing business index, aiming to significantly improve its current rank of 171 out of 190 countries, by 2020.
— Myanmar Times

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning newsPhilippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

External debt service up 5.4% in 2018 at $7.7 B
The Philippines’ external debt service burden rose by 5.4 percent in 2018 to $7.704 billion from $7.309 billion in 2017 as public sector borrowing to fund infrastructure projects increased last year.
— Manila Bulletin

No request to renegotiate PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty
United States Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Patrick Murphy has clarified that there is no request from either Manila or Washington to renegotiate the provisions of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) despite “many voices” in the Philippines who are making observations about the accord.
— Manila Bulletin

China, Philippines Living By Tacit Deals at Sea despite Sovereignty Dispute
China and the Philippines have learned to live with each other over the past three years at sea despite an unresolved sovereignty dispute, marginalizing a new international legal complaint aimed at Beijing.
— VOA

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning newsSingapore morning news

Compiled by Piseth Pov          @piseth6666

 

Singapore’s Top Law Firm Sees Cracks in Southeast Asia’s Credit Markets
Cracks are showing in Southeast Asia’s credit markets as struggling companies in troubled industries seek to repair their balance sheets, according to Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, which manages the largest network of corporate lawyers in the region.
— Bloomberg

SMEs keen on transformation amid challenging times
SINGAPORE’s small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) are looking to invest in their businesses despite expectations that the next six months will bring a weaker economic environment and dent financial performance, according to a survey.
— The Business Times

Fintech start-up gets nod to advise retail investors
A Singapore-based fintech start-up backed by a Chinese counterpart and insurer FWD Group has secured a capital market services licence to offer digital investment advisory services to retail clients here.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

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Thailand morning newsThailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

 

Thailand general election result in tatters as votes exceed voters
Thais went to the polls yesterday (March 24) in the first general election since the Thai military seized power in May, 2014. The result may be a win for the country, but it has seen the country’s Election Commission’s (ECs) reputation in tatters.
— AEC News Today

Thailand Election Results Delayed; Anti-junta Party Claims Win
Thailand’s election commission says it will release full vote counts from the first election since a 2014 coup on Friday as the anti-junta party claimed it won the most seats and will try to form a government.
— News18

Thailand election: Confusion as results of post-coup vote delayed
There is confusion in Thailand over the outcome of the first election in the country since the army took power in a coup in 2014.
— BBC

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning newsVietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

Vietnam targets 5 bln USD in veggie, fruit export value by 2020
Boasting 1.8 million hectares of fruit and vegetable plantation, with many various zones applied advanced technologies into production, Vietnam aims to gain 5 billion USD from farm produce exports by 2020.
— VietnamPlus

Vnews launches new programme to support SMEs
The Vietnam News Agency’s Television Centre (Vnews), in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME), introduced a new programme to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at a recent ceremony.
— VNA NET

Viet Nam posts trade deficit of $5.2 billion with China in first two months
Viet Nam posted a trade deficit of US$5.2 billion with China in the first two months of this year, according to the General Department of Customs.
— Bizhub

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

 

The Asean morning news roundup and its individual country morning news round-ups are the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of news reports from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. We scour hundreds of local and international news and websites to find the things that you need to know to start your working week day.

We clearly identify the source of the story, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you. It’s all then packaged up in an easy to read format enabling you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original source, or keep on reading the headlines. AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

 

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