News
Timber trade continuing despite ban, data shows
Customs data from Vietnam confirms that thousands of cubic meters of wood worth millions of dollars is continuing to reach the country from Cambodia despite a blanket ban placed on such exports four months ago. Soeng Sophari, a spokeswoman for the Commerce Ministry, which manages and ...
Smoking claims over 100 lives every day in Vietnam
Vietnam is among countries where smoking is most widely prevalent, losing more than 100 people a day to the habit and facing a huge financial burden, according to official figures. Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that the Vietnamese smoking population is among the biggest ...
Containers pile up as trade backlog clears at Yangon ports
Weeks of delayed imports have been cleared through Yangon’s ports in the last few days after customs offices opened 24 hours a day to tackle a growing backlog of trade, but empty containers continue to stack up. As a temporary solution, the Customs Department has prioritised ...
Bid plan for gas contracts
The government will attempt to boost transparency in the energy sector by holding an auction for the two major petroleum concessions in the Gulf of Thailand ahead of their expiration dates, instead of granting existing operators the right to extend the concessions without new bidders. The ...
GI status for Tbong Khmum pepper unlikely
With 72 per cent of Cambodian black pepper production coming from Tbong Khmum province, agriculture officials are calling for it to receive Geographic Indicator status to promote the spice for export. Hean Vanhan, deputy-general director of the general department of agriculture, said on 30 May that if ...
Development partners extend support for disabled people
International development partners have agreed to continue supporting disabled people’s organisations in Laos through capacity building for the authorities and organisational capacity, promoting equity and participation among disabled people. The signing of Memorandums of Understanding on the implementation of two disability projects took place on 30 ...
Business operators lack faith in local economy
Investors have expressed a lack of confidence in Thailand’s economy because of a decline in exports, the drought-induced expected slowdown in domestic consumption, and the sluggish global economy. Somkiat Anuras, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber’s Business Confidence Index was only ...
Australia refines its investment in Lao people
Australia has agreed to continue to build on its support of more than five decades in Lao human resource development needs, at a high-level review meeting held in Vientiane on 27 May. Ambassador Williams told the meeting Australia was keen to build on its extensive support ...
Thousands of jobs at risk as high-rises suspended
Foreign investment and the livelihoods of thousands of construction workers have been put at risk by the Yangon Region government’s decision to suspend all construction, developers say. Developers of hundreds of high-rise buildings now under construction in Yangon Region were forced to suspend building work on ...
Cambodia and Thailand edging closer to nuclear power
Step by step, Cambodia and Thailand are edging towards nuclear power generation as the region hunts for vast, stable power sources to fuel rapid development and improve the livelihoods of growing populations. As the debate over nuclear grows, so do the region’s power needs. According to ...
