Asean Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
ASEAN PMI falls to contraction in July
The Nikkei ASEAN Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell to contraction for the first time this year with falls in both output and total new orders.
— Nikkei Asian Review
Factory activity shrinks in Indonesia, Malaysia in July, expands in Vietnam – PMIs
Factory output contracted again in Indonesia and Malaysia in July, while that in Vietnam expanded again, though at a slower pace than in the previous month, according to IHS Markit purchasing managers’ indexes released on Tuesday.
— Nasdaq
Can ASEAN cope with the changing world order?
The contemporary order, in place since the end of World War II and often called the US-dominated liberal hegemony, is changing. But it is not simply returning to the multipolar geopolitics of the prewar era, as many pundits and policymakers claim.
— East Asia Forum
Asean statement to downplay S. China Sea dispute
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will not explicitly mention China’s militarization of disputed areas in the South China Sea in a joint statement to be issued at a forthcoming meeting in the Philippines, Asean sources said Monday.
— Bangkok Post
Asean Economic Community fails to bridge skills gap
Almost three million Southeast Asian professionals are working in Europe, North America and Oceania at a time when their home region is bidding to bridge skills gaps by facilitating greater labor mobility within its borders through the newly enacted Association of Southeast Asian Nations Economic Community (AEC).
— Asia Times
Vietnam among ASEAN’s most dynamic economies: Ambassador
Vietnam is among ASEAN’s largest and most dynamic economies with robust growth reflected by its GDP in recent years, said Singaporean Ambassador to France Zainal Arif Mantaha on July 29.
— Vietnam Plus
Saudi Aramco’s US$7b investment in Rapid tops Asean’s M&A list
Saudi Aramco’s US$7 billion (RM29.96 billion) investment in the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) project in Pengerang, Johor, tops the list of biggest deals in Southeast Asia in the first half of 2017 (1H17), according to Mergermarket.
— The Edge Markets
DENR calls for ASEAN’s environmental cooperation
Environmental Secretary Roy Cimatu is encouraging the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to strengthen the cooperation among its 10 members in protecting the environment.
— Northbound Philippines
Thai role key in forging future of Asean
There has been a lot of hullabaloo about Thailand’s role in Asean as the group celebrates its 50th anniversary next week. However, really determining the country’s status within Asean will take another…
— Bangkok Post
Philippines lags behind Asean-5 peers on WTO’s 2017 importers, exporters list
The Philippines trailed behind its Asean-5 neighbors on the list of top world exporters and importers, World Trade Organization (WTO) data showed.
— Business Mirror
Asean, China agree on Code of Conduct at sea framework
Fifteen years after their first joint declaration on the South China Sea disputes, the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China have agreed to adopt a framework to guide future negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the contested sea.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
Participants arrive for 7th Asian Youth Day
More than 2,000 young people from 21 Asian countries have arrived in Indonesia to celebrate the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD) in Yogyakarta, which kicked off with the preliminary three-day live-in program beginning July 30.
— UCA News
Cambodia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
ABA Bank introduces PayWay service to boost online businesses in Cambodia
ABA Bank, the member of the National Bank of Canada Group, officially launches its own online payment gateway for merchants. The service is called PayWay. Being perfectly tailored to the local business needs, PayWay provides secure, convenient and easy-to-integrate solution that helps entrepreneurs sell their products or services online and accept payments instantly.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Taiwan firm thinks local base could add flavor
Vedan International Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed investment holding company that produces food additives for beverage production, instant noodles and monosodium glutamate (MSG), is looking to set up a subsidiary in Cambodia by the end of the year, according to a report in Taiwanese media.
— The Phnom Penh Post
Royal Group, SK’s E-Mart sign MoU for hypermarket
Local conglomerate Royal Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday to form a new joint venture with South Korea’s largest retailer, E-Mart Inc, to build a hypermarket – a massive retail outlet that combines a supermarket with a department store – in Cambodia.
— The Phnom Penh Post
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Indonesia Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
University of indonesia tops webometrics ranking
The University of Indonesia (UI) has once again achieved the first rank as the best university in Indonesia, according to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities 2017.
— Antara News
Indonesia manufacturing PMI falls to 48.6 in July
The Nikkei Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, or PMI, fell to a one-year low of 48.6 in July from 49.5 in June.
— Nikkei Asian Review
Indonesia detains 153 over US$450 million scam targeting Chinese
Indonesian police on Monday (Jul 31) said they had detained more than 150 Chinese nationals accused of carrying out a sophisticated scam that netted around US$450 million (S$611 million) by tricking their compatriots into paying to make legal cases go away.
— Channel NewsAsia
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Lao PDR Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Laos calls for enhanced int’l cooperation to eradicate UXO
Some 23 people have been injured or killed as a result of exploding unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos so far in 2017, government officials said here Monday while calling for enhanced international efforts.
— Xinhua
Laos values Asean-China cooperation, Deputy PM tells Guizhou audience
Laos continues to highly value the cooperation between Asean and China over the past two and half decades, reaffirming the commitment to promote their strategic partnership.
— Vientiane Times
Work on Laos-Vietnam oil pipeline project awaits approval
Work on a US$380-million oil pipeline connecting a Vietnamese harbour to central Khammuan province of Laos is set to begin once the feasibility study is approved by the Lao government, a senior technical in-charge of the project has said.
— Vientiane Times
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Malaysia Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Malaysia-Singapore will sign agreement on RTS link in December
Malaysia and Singapore will sign a bilateral agreement on the development of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, this December.
— Astro Awani
Factory activity shrinks in Indonesia, Malaysia in July, expands in Vietnam – PMIs
Factory output contracted again in Indonesia and Malaysia in July, while that in Vietnam expanded again, though at a slower pace than in the previous month,according to IHS Markit purchasing managers’ indexes released on Tuesday.
— Nasdaq / Reuters
Malaysia To Send 6 MPs To Europe To Seek Support For Palm Oil
Malaysia is sending six lawmakers to Europe in September to meet and seek support from Members of the European Parliament in relation to palm oil.
— Malaysian Digest
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Myanmar Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
IFC hands control of public-private dialogue body to UFMCCI
The International Finance Corporation has handed over to the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry the secretariat of a body formed to promote public-private dialogue, the IFC said in a statement last week.
— Frontier Myanmar
Timber industry faces challenges in the voluntary partnership agreement process in forest governance
The lack of transparency and accountability together with the issues of corruption, an overwhelming wood demand and land rights are still posing challenges for the timber industry’s Voluntary Partnership Agreement in forest governance, said U Kyaw Zwar, director of the Forest Department. He made the remarks during a workshop on July 25.
— Myanmar Times
Can the central bank’s new guard save businesses in Myanmar?
The Central Bank of Myanmar will soon welcome three new deputy governors and five board members to its rank after the incumbents complete their tenures.
— Myanmar Times
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Philippines Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
Philippines lags behind Asean-5 peers on WTO’s 2017 importers, exporters list
The Philippines trailed behind its Asean-5 neighbors on the list of top world exporters and importers, World Trade Organization (WTO) data showed.
— Business Mirror
Bank loans up 19% to P6.43 T in June
Bank credit grew faster at 19 percent in end-June due to higher disbursements to the real estate and manufacturing sectors, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported yesterday.
— The Philippine Star
PH only producing 1% of local dairy demand
AN EXECUTIVE of the Mindanao Association of Dairy Industry Stakeholders (Madis) said they are targeting to increase the production of dairy products in the country in the next five years.
— Sun Star
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Singapore Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Google to train 2,500 more Singapore SMEs to go global by 2019
SOME 2,500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore will be trained by Google to tap the global market by 2019, the tech giant announced on Monday during the official launch of the expansion of its Go Global initiative.
— The Business Times
Faced with huge demand, Amazon books taxis to fulfil orders
Confronted with a deluge of orders, Amazon’s Prime Now service has resorted to booking taxis — on top of tapping freelance drivers — to make deliveries.
— Today Online
Consumers lost S$3.59m in prepayments last year: Case
Consumers have reported losing about S$8.35 million in advance payments for goods and services since 2014 — and the figure could be the tip of the iceberg, the industry watchdog said yesterday.
— Today Online
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Thailand Morning News
Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ
Property prices expected to rise 10%, survey shows
Thais are concerned about what lies around the corner for Bangkok’s real-estate market, but expect to see property grow in value over the next five years, according to the latest consumer sentiment survey by DDproperty, a leading online property portal.
— Bangkok Post
LPG price float won’t affect people: Energy Ministry
The floating of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) price, which is set to begin tomorrow (Aug 1), will not affect people in general, according to Tawarat Sutabutra, director of the Energy Ministry’s Energy Policy and Planning Office.
— Thai PBS
Laos/Thailand: Investigate Abduction of Exiled Red Shirt Activist
The Lao authorities should urgently investigate the abduction of an exiled Thai activist Wuthipong Kachathamakul, also known as Ko Tee, Human Rights Watch said today. Eyewitnesses stated that a group of unknown armed assailants abducted him in Vientiane on July 29, 2017, raising grave concerns for his safety.
— Human Rights Watch
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Vietnam Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Despite risks, foreign investors still find property market attractive
The latest report by CBRE, a real estate service provider, showed that Australia, Japan and Vietnam are among the most attractive real estate markets in Asia Pacific.
— VietnamNet Bridge
PM: Private enterprises strive to contribute 50-60 pct of GDP
He reiterated the target of building a facilitating Government which accompanies businesses, and protects all legitimate rights and interests of investors, in accordance with principles of the World Trade Organisation, bilateral agreements and the Government’s commitments.
— VietnamNet Bridge
Seafood exports estimated at 8 bln USD in 2017
Vietnam’s export turnover of aquatic products is forecast to reach 8 billion USD in 2017, up 14 percent year on year, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP).
— VietnamPlus
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Asean Morning News is the most comprehensive selection of reports on what you need to know from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. All articles are hand curated by the team at AEC News Today. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.