Economy and commerce
Drought devastates local shrimp industry
This year’s prolonged drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta has destroyed more than 81,000 hectares of prime shrimp breeding areas in eight provinces, says the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Shrimp farmers in Ca Mau Province in the very south of the country, ...
New Myanmar investment law is the ‘right move’
International lawyers have welcomed Myanmar’s new investment law, saying it will create a better investment environment for both local and foreign investors once enforced. Jo Daniels, managing partner of Baker & McKenzie Myanmar, said at a media roundtable that the new law could be one ...
Agricultural products exported to EU must meet health standards
Farms, market gardens, packaging units and companies that export plants and other agricultural products to the EU are required to register with the relevant authorities. This will enable them to obtain certification from district agriculture and forestry offices, according to a recent announcement by the Ministry ...
Govt urged to adopt sustainable devt goals
The representative of the United Nations Development Program has called on the Duterte administration to adopt the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, saying it would help make a difference in poverty reduction and socioeconomic development. UNDP country manager Titon Mitra told reporters the Philippines would be able ...
Chile to boost exports by targeting Asian middle class
Chile, one of the major trading nations in South America, has relied heavily on exports of minerals, mainly copper. As falling copper prices have taken a toll on the nation’s economy, it is shifting its focus to exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products, as ...
Domestic firms step up efforts to cut emissions
Domestic energy-consuming companies will get the chance to improve their core competitiveness and sustainable development ability, but still face many challenges after China and the US ratified the Paris climate deal, experts said on September 11. China and the US, the world’s two largest emitters of ...
Competition and bidding wars between Chinese firms impairs ASEAN trade and investment
Three years ago Chinese Premier Li Keqiang outlined a roadmap for a shared “diamond decade” in the relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and pledged to expand bilateral trade to $1 trillion and two-way investment by $150 billion by 2020. Given ...
‘A major concern’: plantation-driven deforestation ramps up in Borneo
Borneo, home to animals like orangutans, rhinos, elephants, and proboscis monkeys is also host to some of the fastest plantation expansion in the world. Now, a new study published on September 9 in Nature’s open access journal Scientific Reports examines how much of this expansion has been happening ...
New economic models sought for sustainable development
The Asian Productivity Organization has called upon global economies to explore and adopt new business models to achieve Green Productivity and long-term business sustainability for a low-carbon future. The APO, having 20-memebr economies, including Bangladesh, made the call referring to the ‘Bangkok Outcome Document’ based on ...
Push for more investment in CLMV
Despite the strong economic growth of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, very few Thai companies have sought to capitalise on their economies, say government and industry officials. The Industry Ministry’s Department of Industry Promotion found only a few large enterprises such as PTT Plc, the ...
