Investment policy and regulation
Domestic investors
Should FIEs provide outbound tours? domestic travel firms say no
Some travel firms have expressed disappointment about the latest draft version of the amended Tourism Law, which removes the regulation on allowing foreign-invested enterprises to organize outbound tours. The current Tourism Law does not allow FIEs to provide the services. A hope arose among foreign travel ...
European Chamber chief voices scepticism against the BRI
Filip Lauwerysen, executive director of the European Chamber of Commerce Myanmar, wrote to The Myanmar Times and said that the Myanmar government and businesses should be cautious about the BRI, a scheme which he saw as a move by China to align the terms of trade and ...
FSC to investigate Korean conglomerate’s palm oil operations in Indonesia
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), one of the world’s most influential sustainable forestry certification bodies, has announced that it will investigate the Indonesian oil palm operations of Korean agribusiness conglomerate Korindo in response to a formal complaint submitted by environmental group Mighty Earth. The group ...
Indonesia’s plantation lobby challenges environmental law
Palm oil and paper lobby groups have asked Indonesia’s highest court to strike down rules holding plantation firms strictly liable for fires that occur on their land. The groups have also asked the Constitutional Court to eliminate a regulation letting small farmers practice slash-and-burn techniques, the ...
BoT eases up on forex regulations
The Bank of Thailand on June 5 loosened a set of foreign exchange regulations, including allowing Thais to invest directly in securities abroad at an amount of up to $1 million a year, in a fresh bid to accommodate capital outflows, curb the appreciating baht (which ...
Enterprises urged to pursue sustainable development goals
Government officials urged businesses to achieve sustainable development goals and come up with practical plans at a seminar about environmental protection held on June 5 in Vũng Tàu City. Hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and ...
Western policies may slow growth
Long-term growth prospects for developing economies, including Cambodia, will continue to be undermined by a lack of investment as well as the risk of increased protectionist policies by the United States, which could hamper the growth of commodity-driven economies, according to a new report released ...
Hòa Phát to issue over 250 million shares
Steelmaker Hòa Phát Group (HPG) plans to issue over 250 million shares to raise capital for investment in the second phase of Hoà Phát Dung Quất iron and steel production complex. HPG will sell those shares at a price of VNĐ20,000 (US$0.8) per share, expecting ...
China, India and the global auto industry's transformation
Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s acquisition of a 49.9% stake in Malaysian automaker Proton Holdings from DRB-Hicom is unlikely to trigger an immediate change in the Southeast Asian market overall. Japanese automakers, particularly Toyota Motor, hold overwhelming shares in the region. South Korean automakers have been ...
Thailand's PMI falls to 49.7 in May
The Nikkei Thailand Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell marginally to 49.7 in May from 49.8 in April. A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion, while one below 50 points toward contraction. May’s data marked the second consecutive month of contraction. “Latest survey data ...
