Government
Higher PPP investment limit urged
The Thai government hopes to ease its public debt burden by luring the private sector to invest more in multibillion-baht infrastructure projects, especially in telecommunications and transport, through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Keep reading ...
Vietnam scores low for budget transparency as public participation remains 'limited'
Scoring only 18 out of 100 on an open budget index compiled by the International Budget Partnership, Vietnam’s budget transparency is deemed “scant” and far below the world average score of 45. The performance is slightly worse than that of 2012, when the country scored 19, according ...
New rule allows Vietnam coast guards to chase invading boats with weapons
The Vietnamese government has introduced a new rule allowing coast guard forces to use weapons to chase away foreign vessels entering the country’s waters illegally. Keep reading ...
Almost $20b in dirty money left Myanmar in five decades: Researchers
Almost US$20 billion in dirty money linked to corruption, crime and tax evasion has left Myanmar in the past five decades, slashing government revenue and driving a thriving underground economy, a money-laundering watchdog said on 9 September. Fraudulent invoicing of trade deals and physical smuggling of drugs, ...
Housewives band together to fight for rights
Furious: That’s how Mi Than Shin said she felt when the Union Election Commission (UEC) told her and her colleagues they could not register a political organisation under the name Women’s Party. On April 27, the commission sent a letter to the founding members, who are ...
Vietnam, Egypt step up bilateral trade ties
Representatives from about 70 Vietnamese and Egyptian enterprises shared information on business opportunities at a forum in Cairo on 7 September. Keep reading ...
Wrong cost estimates in state-funded projects lead to waste, corruption: experts
Experts have warned that construction costs estimated by the government are often much higher than market prices, creating opportunities for contractors and managers to work together and pocket the extra money. Keep reading ...
Vietnam plans to drop fines for some tax defaulters
The Ministry of Finance plans to forgo fines imposed on businesses which were behind their tax due date if their partners, including state agencies, had failed to pay them on time in accordance with contract terms. Keep reading ...
Campaign period starts, but only for some parties
As with most deadlines and dates this election season, the start of the official candidate campaign period is rolling by only partially heeded. Political parties had to miss scheduled campaign kick-off events – and the unveiling of campaign songs and slogans – because the candidate ...
Muslim candidates fear no shot at the polls
With the finalised candidate list expected to be released on 7 September, barred Muslim election hopefuls fear not a single one of them will be left to contend the looming polls, leaving no one to represent what many estimate is Myanmar’s largest religious minority. The Union ...
