Economy and commerce
Fierce competition for plastics sector

Plastic firms in Việt Nam face fierce competition and risk being acquired by foreign companies, experts said on November 2 at a conference in HCM City. Phạm Văn Bắc, deputy head of the construction ministry’s department of building materials, said the plastic industry had the potential ...
University needs to raise standards: PM

The National University of Laos should set its sights on national development, especially in terms of the quality of the graduates it is producing, as they are fundamental to the nation’s progress. The university is only in the initial stages of its success. There is still ...
Singapore firm plans Thilawa galvanising plant
Amid booming demand for high-quality construction materials, Meranti Singapore is planning to build a steel galvanising plant and paintline in Thilawa special economic zone. The firm intends to spend US$85 million on the facility, and is in discussion with the SEZ operator and potential local ...
KrisEnergy ups stake to unclog offshore Block A oil
Singapore-listed KrisEnergy Ltd has upped its stake in the Block A offshore oil field to 95 percent, acquiring the shares of two minority stakeholders who had opposed the Cambodian government’s attempts to renegotiate a revenue-sharing model, the company revealed in its third-quarter filings. The document, ...
Brunei delegation eyes rice and paddy exports
A Delegation from Brunei Darussalam will visit Myanmar to discuss buying rice and paddy, according to agriculture ministry officials, as the government continues an urgent search for new export markets. The Brunei delegation will visit Myanmar later this month to discuss importing high-quality rice, paddy and ...
Tourism ministry seeks support from Alibaba
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will hold talks with Alibaba Group on November 4 to seek support for tourism in this country and the possibility of using the group’s Alipay platform for an e-visa system. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said that after meeting ...
Aquafarming tech will be key to satisfying a seafood-hungry Asia

Some 800 meters above sea level and more than 100km from the nearest ocean, thousands of red sea bream thrive in the mountains of central Japan. Despite being far from their usual habitat, the fish are growing at a healthy rate in their large round ...
Govt begins buying up rice paddy to help farmers amid slump in prices

Government agencies have begun implementing measures aimed at helping rice farmers sell their produce amid declining paddy prices. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is buying up paddy of Hom Mali fragrant rice from farmers throughout the country, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya ...
SMEs urged to use digital technology

Vietnamese firms, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, should take advantage of the power of digital technology to boost sales and improve competitiveness, delegates said at a workshop held in HCM City on November 2. Việt Nam has a high growth rate of internet penetration, with ...
ASEAN figure out improvements to statistical systems
The Sixth Session of the ASEAN Community Statistical System Committee on November 1 opened in Vientiane to discuss ways to improve the statistical systems used by the committee. The meeting was attended by Minister of Planning and Investment Dr Souphanh Keomixay, Head of the Lao Statistics Bureau ...