A virtual launch ceremony was held on July 20 for the Philippines’ first knowledge-based special ecozone to be constructed in Batangas province, 100 kilometers south of Manila. The Knowledge, Innovation, Science and Technology (KIST) Park will be developed and...
The government of Singapore is setting aside SGD 20 billion (USD 14.5 billion) to support basic and applied research in high impact areas, such as health and biomedical sciences, climate change, and artificial intelligence. It will launch a series of Innovation...
Indonesia is currently in talks with the US government on the potential relocation of American companies operating in China to the country. According to media report, about 20 companies have expressed interest in relocating factories to Indonesia. To attract these...
The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) plans to set up a new unit called the Project Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU) to facilitate the approval process and speed up the implementation of approved manufacturing projects nationwide. Senior...
The Philippine Board of Investments (BOI) has introduced new tax and investment incentives for tourism-related enterprises that will benefit business upgrading/modernizing their facilities to ensure the safety, health and wellness of tourists and gearing up for the...
The Economic Development Board (EDB) of Singapore announced that the city-state secured around SGD 13 billion (USD 9.3 billion) in investment commitments during the first four months of 2020, notwithstanding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ministry of Trade...
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has unveiled its recovery strategy for tourism in parallel of the Royal Thai Government’s third phase of easing business activities and restrictions, which was announced on 1 June and was effective immediately. TAT’s...
The National Assembly of Vietnam ratified the Europe-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Europe-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in June 2020. The EVFTA which takes effect in July 2020 will reduce or eliminate 99% of tariffs on goods traded...
GudangAda, an online B2B marketplace for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) based in Jakarta, announced that it raised a USD 25.4 million Series A (bringing total fundraising to date to USD 36 million) led by Sequoia and Alpha JWC, with existing investor Wavemaker...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is projecting Malaysia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) to grow at a rate of 9% next year, the fastest among the five major developing economies in ASEAN. The ASEAN-5 – namely Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand...
The Department of Finance (DOF) in the Philippines is looking to offer customized fiscal and non-fiscal perks to investors under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act or CREATE (formerly known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform...
On 1 May 2020, the Trade Ministers of Singapore, Australia, Canada, South Korea, and New Zealand held a video conference session, followed by the Joint Ministerial Statement on Action Plans to Facilitate the Flow of Goods and Services as well as the Essential Movement...
