Economy and commerce
A clearer picture for lenders
The double-digit growth of consumer lending in Cambodia has created a need for a comprehensive and centralised database of individual credit histories. The Post’s Cam McGrath sat down with Pascal Ly, CEO of the Credit Bureau Cambodia (CBC), to discuss the role of the Kingdom’s only ...
Challenges lie ahead for Vietnam economic growth
Vietnam has challenges to tackle if it wants to achieve economic targets and deeply integrate into the world’s economy in the context of new trade agreements. Speaking at a seminar held in Ho Chi Minh City on 3 March, Tran Dinh Thien, director of the Vietnam ...
Brazil challenges Thai sugar 'subsidies'
Brazil will challenge Thailand at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over “subsidies” for sugar producers that it says have dragged down global prices, the Trade Ministry said. Brazil said the Thai government had given support to cane growers and sugar mills that was inconsistent with international trade ...
Millers, exporters take on rice federation
A newly formed coalition of rice millers and exporters has raised alarm bells, forecasting the imminent “collapse” of Cambodia’s rice sector within two years and blaming in part “governance failure” by the industry’s apex body. The 18-member group, whose initiative is called the Rice Industry Strategic ...
Hai Phong needs to choose investment projects with practical value: President
Vietnam’s Hai Phong needs to have a clear investment mechanism and select projects with practical benefits for both investors and the locality, President Truong Tan Sang said while visiting the northern port city on 1 March. He asked the locality to efficiently utilise investment in infrastructure ...
Yangon stock exchange on track for March trading debut
The Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) is expected to begin shares trading by the second week of March, with dry-run testing already underway, an official from the Securities Exchange Commission of Myanmar (SECM) told The Irrawaddy on 29 February. Though the YSX officially “launched” late last year ...
Interest rate race has Vietnamese businesses on edge
In anticipation of the central bank’s possible move to further limit the use of short-term deposits for loans, banks in Vietnam have rushed to attract savings with higher interest rates, starting a competitive race that might soon hurt many borrowers. Latest figures from the central bank’s ...
Vietnam rice exports rebound; prices stay low
Vietnam’s rice exports hit US$445 million in the first two months, twice the number of the same period last year, the agriculture ministry reported on 26 February. Keep reading ...
Casinos could bring B100bn windfall
More than 100 billion baht a year in tax revenue is expected to pour into state coffers if casinos are legalised in Thailand, according to a study conducted by the dean of Rangsit University’s College of Social Innovation. The estimated revenue excludes contributions from tourism and ...
Food shipments expected to rebound after 2015 slip
Despite a contraction of 1.9% last year, Thailand’s National Food Institute (NFI) expects food exports this year will grow by 5.8%. The optimism is based largely on rising demand for some food segments in neighbouring emerging markets and government efforts to boost exports. NFI president Yongvut Saovapruk attributed ...