Economy and commerce
Trade
Development of SMEs, startups allotted B96m
The Commerce Ministry has vowed to spend 96 million baht next year to help develop startups and raise Thai brand awareness in the world market. According to Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn, the ministry is committed to moving ahead with plans to promote Thai small and medium-sized ...
Ministry calls meet on rice scheme suspects
The Justice Ministry has invited anti-graft agencies to a meeting next week when it is expected to name the people to be probed in the 853 alleged corruption cases connected to the rice-pledging scheme. The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission last week said it had received 853 ...
US still urging Cambodia to broaden and clarify union law
The U.S. is continuing to urge the government to change and clarify key parts of a controversial trade union law that took effect in April, including an amendment to cover civil servants, the U.S.’s international labor affairs representative said on October 5. Sarah Fox, who was ...
Large M&A deal could change Vietnam’s sugar industry
Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group HAGL has finally confirmed that it is negotiating with Thanh Thanh Cong on the transfer of its sugar mill in Laos to TTC. As both of them are giants in their field, the deal is expected to lead to big ...
’Quảng Nam should model sustainable development’
The central province of Quảng Nam should become a rapid, sustainable and comprehensive development model, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc told the province’s leaders in a meeting on September 28 in Hà Nội. The PM asked the province to work with neighbouring Đà Nẵng City and Quảng ...
Thailand drops to 34th in competitiveness
Thailand’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index 2016-17 has dipped two places to 34th from last year. The report is an annual assessment of the factors driving productivity and prosperity in 138 countries. The degree to which economies are open to international trade in goods ...
ADB puts Thailand’s GDP growth forecast at 3.2%
The Asian Development Bank has slightly revised up its forecast for Thailand’s 2016 economic growth from 3 per cent to 3.2 per cent, praising the country’s investment in infrastructure. “Government infrastructure investment is a key contributor to growth in Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand,” ...
Cabinet mulls ways to boost investment in special economic zones
The government cabinet has been exploring ways to better facilitate and promote investment in Special Economic Zones, after many zones have been set up in the provinces and in Vientiane. The cabinet on September 26 convened an extraordinary meeting and discussed a draft of the Law on ...
MGMA backs garment industry to boom when US sanctions are lifted
Myanmar’s leading garment industry body has been buoyed by the lifting of sanctions it hopes will see a return to the glory days for the sector, when in the early 2000s a majority of country’s garments were shipped to the US. Speaking at a manufacturing trade ...
Funds allocated for railway compensation awards
The government has allocated almost 5 billion kip for authorities to finance work in the payment of compensation to those who will lose land when the Laos-China railway is built. However, the actual payments will be carried out by the joint venture company that is ...