Economy and commerce

Cambodia’s microfinance sector experienced another year of explosive growth, with both lending and deposits surging over 40 per cent in 2015, according to new data by an industry association. An annual performance sheet released on 18 February by the Cambodian Microfinance Association showed its membership – comprising ...

The Thai Government’s first rice auction this year drew active interest from potential buyers, with 31 qualified bidders proposing to buy a combined 397,639 tonnes for 3.31 billion baht. The proposed purchases account for 70% of the total 570,000 tonnes of rice put up for the latest auction called ...

A better legal framework and a stronger privatization drive of state-owned enterprises are key measures for Vietnam’s securities market to keep attracting foreign investors this year, a senior official has said.   Speaking to news website VnEconomy on 16 February, Vu Bang, chief of the State Securities ...

A company from the Republic of Korea (ROK) is intending to carry out a Lao Resort Complex Project in Phonhong district, Vientiane province, one of the mega projects to be developed in Laos. If the project is approved by the Lao government, the total value of ...

French bank BRED Banque Populaire – part of the second-largest banking group in France – will start commercial operations in Cambodia later this year, marking the first foray for a European bank in the Kingdom since the late 1990s, sources in the banking sector said ...

The northern province of Lao Cai is concentrating on developing local tourist attractions in order to host the National Tourism Year in 2017. Ha Van Thang, Director of the Lao Cai Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, said the province will create a series of local tourism ...

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has issued a decision regarding the mechanisms and policies needed to implement the strategy for Vietnam’s automobile industry development through 2025, with a vision toward 2035. The measures will also cover the master plan for Vietnam’s automobile industry development through ...

Vietnamese products are facing fierce competition from Thailand imports in the local market as Thai companies increasingly expand their presence in the country. A report from the General Department of Customs (GDC) showed that exports from Thailand reached US$7.5 billion in the first 11 months of ...

The Climate-Friendly Agribusiness Value Chains Sector Project will provide a US$180 million loan to finance initiatives in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar to boost the capacity of commercial production in the three countries. A senior official from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr Vinoth Vansy, told ...

Australian banking giant ANZ has come under fire for its response to a scandal over its financing of a sugar plantation previously linked to forced evictions and child labour in Kampong Speu province. Titled Still Banking on Land Grabs, Oxfam’s Australia branch released a report on ...