News
Finishing touches coming for Sugar Act

A draft of the long-awaited Sugar Act is to be revised with recommendations from industry figures at a meeting of the Sugar and Sugar Related Products Merchants and Manufacturers Association on 17 May. Once the revision is complete the act will be submitted to parliament through Myanmar’s ...
Drought weighs on fishery production target

While Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to increase fish production by 1.3 per cent this year, members of fishery organisations believe that is an unlikely target as drought conditions have tapped out natural resources. Eng Chea San, director general for the fishery administration ...
Less Mekong Delta fruit, higher prices

The price of fruit in the Mekong Delta has risen recently as the impact of drought and salt water intrusion has caused fruit output to decline, while demand has increased. Tien Giang province authorities have also implemented several measures, including strictly monitoring the salt content of ...
Popular Thai beach forced to close to tourists before 'damage is beyond repair'

Authorities in Thailand are set to close the island of Koh Tachai because of the impact heavy tourism has had on natural resources and the environment. “We have to close [the island] to allow the rehabilitation of the environment, both on the island and in the ...
Farmers irked by irrigation pump charges
Many farmers are reluctant to use irrigation systems that involve electrical pumps to deliver water to rice fields, as they are charged for the electricity consumed. This was confirmed by the former Minister of Agriculture and Forestry when speaking to the media recently.Keep reading ...
Economy sees best growth in three years despite export contraction

Thailand’s economy remained resilient in the first quarter of this year, surprising forecasters by growing more than the previous quarter despite the continued contraction of exports. The country’s economy grew a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent in the first quarter, boosted by public spending and tourism, ...
Rice sector predicts a worrying trend
Although data for first four months of this year have shown a slight rise in rice exports, millers and exporters continue to raise concerns on the back of April’s rapid decline. The most recent data on rice exports released by Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture stated that ...
Electricity ministry to up supply
In the face of ever-rising energy demands and climbing temperatures, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy has released an aspirational blueprint for its first 100 days in office. Myanmar’s ministry will strive to finish building electricity transmission yards across the country to boost electricity generation, said ...
Businesses get lost in ‘forest of sub-licenses’

A survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry has found that businesses operate under the regulation of 7,000 sub-licenses or 7,000 business conditions. The Tien Giang Enterprises’Association, in a document to the Prime Minister complaining about sub-licenses, emphasized that it was unreasonable to force ...
Yangon ‘peace walk’ leaders charged for illegal assembly

Student leaders who led an interfaith “peace walk” of almost 100 people in downtown of Yangon on 14 May are to be charged under Article 19 of the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law. The participants of the peace walk, many of whom were drawn from the Yangon ...