Economy and commerce
Myanmar expects a more vibrant post-election economy
Foreign investors are being wooed to invest more in Myanmar to take advantage of the country’s ASEAN membership and geographic location, which should enhance its attractiveness after the election in November. “By the end of this year, the ASEAN Economic Community will be launched. That means our market will ...
Japan pledges 100bn yen in loans for Vietnam

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged on 15 September that his country will extend 100 billion yen ($835 million) in loans for Vietnam to boost the Southeast Asian economy’s infrastructural development, as Tokyo and Hanoi aim to strengthen ties on the economic and security fronts. Keep reading ...
New bourse rules to lure SMEs

Cambodia’s market regulator has released listing criteria for a new trading platform – with reduced accounting and capital requirements – aimed at making it easier for small- and mid-sized firms to list on the fledgling stock exchange, Sok Dara, deputy director general of the Securities ...
Outbreak turns consumers away from pork
Pork sales at local markets have taken a hit following the recent outbreak of blue-ear pig disease as fears have spread among consumers that the meat is not fit for human consumption, pork vendors said on 14 September. First identified in Siem Reap in mid-August, Porcine ...
MAI named best airline in Mekong region
Myanmar Airways International (MAI) has been awarded Best Airline of the Year for 2015 by the Mekong Tourism Alliance, said Aye Maya Thar, the airline’s Head of Marketing and Public Relations. Keep reading ...
Operators in Mekong's five nations keen on cross-country promotion
Inbound tour operators in mainland South-east Asia are benefiting from cross-promotion of the Mekong subregion, according to delegates at last week’s International Tourism Expo in Ho Chi Minh City. Keep reading ...
Tevin bemoans low Thai competitiveness
Tevin Vongvanich, the new president and chief executive of PTT Plc, has vowed to make the national oil and gas firm a key player in improving Thailand’s competitiveness. “We drove our economy without creating any innovation or productivity improvement for a long time, while other emerging countries ...
TPP trade talks appeal, says Somkid

Thailand is interested in joining the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact being touted by the United States, but needs to study the terms and conditions of the new trade bloc first, Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak says. Keep reading ...
US slashes anti-dumping tax on Vietnamese shrimp

The US Department of Commerce has cut anti-dumping tariffs on Vietnamese shrimp by up to 86 percent, giving rise to hope that shrimp exports to that country will increase in the remaining months of this year. Keep reading ...
Vietnam's Communist Party chief seeks to expand economic and security ties during visit to Japan

Vietnam’s Communist Party chief will embark on a four-day visit to Japan on 14 September, seeking not only investment opportunities but geopolitical assurances as China continues its aggressive maritime posturing, according to experts. Nguyen Phu Trong will also become the first party leader to have visited ...