The Indonesian government has just unveiled a priority list aiming to lure investors with fiscal & nonfiscal incentives and the removal of restrictions on foreign investment. The priority investment list contains high-tech, pioneering, export-oriented,...
The Malaysian government has officially launched its Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) to transform Malaysia into a digitally-driven, high-income nation and a regional leader in the digital economy. The digital transformation plan is projected to...
Singapore’s economy has been ranked the freest in the world this year in the Heritage Foundation’s 2021 Index of Economic Freedom. Singapore’s economic freedom score is 89.7, making its economy the freest in the 2021 Index. The country is ranked first...
Thailand and the United Kingdom are planning to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a Joint Trade Committee on Commerce and Economic Cooperation. According to Auramon Supthaweethum, director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, “the MoU will...
Following the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam now eyes opportunities to boost its apparel and textile exports. Crucially, the recently-signed EVFTA is expected to reduce more than 70% of tariffs on Vietnam’s...
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Board has approved a total of 33 new projects in March 2021 – these are expected to bring about PHP 13.19 billion (USD 272 million) investments and generate 2,447 employment opportunities in host areas of the...
In 2020, the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) managed to draw dedicated investments worth MYR 5.5 billion (USD 1.36 billion) and realized investments totaling MYR 4.2 billion (USD 1.039 billion) in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER). The ECER...
Indonesia is launching its largest Islamic bank, Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI), which is a merger between three state-owned Islamic banks: Bank BRI Syariah, Bank Syariah Mandiri and Bank BNI Syariah. Once the merger is finalized, BSI will be one of the largest sharia...
According to a report by JP Morgan, the regulatory environment in the Philippines will help increase the country’s growth in digital banking and payments. JP Morgan projects that the potential market value for digital payments in the ASEAN-6 markets (Philippines,...
The Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh, a coastal province in northeastern Vietnam, attracted a record number of Singaporean companies to build factories and invest in its industrial zones. One of the most notable recent projects saw Quang Ninh’s Management Board...
A regional manufacturing alliance called the Southeast Asia Manufacturing Alliance (SMA) has been launched to help businesses grow their footprint in South East Asia and diversify their supply chain. The alliance is a tripartite agreement between Singapore’s...
The Thai Parliament recently ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest trade bloc. The RCEP includes the 10 members of ASEAN, plus China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, combining one-third of the global...
