Asean Morning News For August 17

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Asean investments urged
VAST opportunities await Thai investors in neighbouring countries, experts said yesterday at a forum on overseas investment hosted by the Board of Investment (BOI) and the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).
— The Nation

North Korea casts long shadow over US strategy in S-E Asia
While US President Donald Trump threatened “fire and fury” against North Korean provocations last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was in South-east Asia to attend the Asean ministerial meetings and for visits to Thailand and Malaysia, reiterating the administration’s wish for America’s allies in the region to do more to contain the Kim Jong Un regime.
— The Straits Times

ASEAN handbook on e-commerce and competition launched
The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) on Wednesday (Aug 16) launched a handbook to help ASEAN member states identify and address potential challenges in enforcing competition law related to e-commerce.
— Channel NewsAsia

Manila Water inks deal with WB investment arm
Manila Water Co. Inc.’s overseas business unit has signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Finance Corp. (IFC) on working together in projects in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in the south east.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Survey congress emphasises use of MRA
THE use of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) was highlighted during the first plenary session of the 14th Southeast Asia Survey Congress (SEASC) yesterday.
— Borneo Bulletin Online

Rapid Advancements will boost ASEAN Energy Storage Devices Market Size Further
Rise in the energy demand and depleting fossil fuels is pushing the market towards non-conventional sources of energy. Energy demand is expected to increase by 70% between 2012 and 2035. The existing conventional sources of energy are depleting at a much faster rate than expected and their depletion is equally proving detrimental to the climate.
— MilTech

Global Geosynthetics Market,Industry Analysis,Trends, and Forecast 2017-2025
In volume terms, the market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 12.6% over the forecast period to account for 1,781.4 Mn meter square by 2027 end.
— Digital Journal

CHITNIS CALL TO DEVELOP NATIONAL IDENTITY
Minister for Women and Child Development Archana Chitnis congratulating the representatives of 11 countries for restoring Asianism in India-ASEAN Youth Summit, said that we had lost our identity owing to expansion of colonialism due to historical reasons.
— Daily Pioneer

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

US Businesses Give Cambodia Mixed Marks
U.S. companies doing business in Cambodia are optimistic about the country’s overall investment environment, but remain dissatisfied with the supply of cheap and skilled labor, corruption, tax structure, and attitudes toward the U.S., according to a new survey.
—The Cambodia Daily (paywall)

Cambodia’s tax agency denies crackdown is political
Cambodian tax authorities denied Wednesday there is a political motive for a crackdown on delinquent taxpayers that prominently targets media and civil society organizations critical of the government.
—The Sacramento Bee

Chinese nuclear pact in the works
Cambodia and China are close to inking an agreement that would bring the Kingdom another step closer to developing its own nuclear technology, officials said yesterday, although it would not be used initially to bolster its electricity production.
—The Phnom Penh Post

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Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Rama Ariadi @AriadiRama

EDITORIAL: Forever young Indonesia
At 72, Indonesia is behaving more like a restless 17-year-old in search of an identity than an old grandpa. And so it should. As a nation, Indonesia should never become like a feeble septuagenarian.
— The Jakarta Post

Jokowi Reveals Infrastructure Projects to Start Next Year
To support the growth of economic centers and development of inter-region connectivity, the government will build 856 kilometers of new roads and 781 kilometers irrigation system
— Tempo (EN)

Bank Indonesia Governor Sees ‘An Easing Potential’ at Next Meeting
Indonesia’s central bank governor on Wednesday (16/08) said it might resume easing monetary policy as early as its two-day board meeting that ends on Aug. 22.
— Jakarta Globe

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Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Govt urges local jobs on Laos-China railway project
The government wants local workers to be employed for construction of the Laos-China railway project to maximise the economic benefits to the nation.
— Vientiane Times

What’s Behind the New Cambodia-Laos Border Crisis?
Cambodia – traditionally a political, economic and military minnow – has grabbed the headlines in recent years in the diplomatic realm in the context of its spoiler role with the backing of China. And as the country approaches elections next year, Phnom Penh has been flexing its muscles of late, whether at home when it comes to cracking down on local opposition groups or abroad with some of its neighbors.
— The Diplomat

Laos continues to face budgetary tension: deputy PM
Laos will continue to face budgetary tension next year despite taking a number of steps to mitigate fiscal problems, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Somdy Duangdy said on Tuesday.
— Xinhua

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Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Satellite images of ocean debris suggest 3 places to search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
Satellite images of debris floating in the Indian Ocean two weeks after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 could revive the 3-year-old search in a new area, according to a scientific analysis released Wednesday.
— USA Today (video)

KL is second most liveable city in Southeast Asia
Kuala Lumpur has been ranked as Southeast Asia’s second most liveable city after Singapore. The Malaysian city is placed No. 70 in a global ranking of liveable cities.
— The Sun Daily

Bursa Malaysia likely to see softer third quarter
Bursa Malaysia Bhd (Bursa Malaysia) will likely see a softer third quarter of the financial year 2017 (3QFY17) on expectations of a lower daily average trading value (DATV) for equities as well as a softer derivatives revenue as market volatility has been trending lower.
— The Borneo Post

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Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Myanmar’s infrastructure deficit outpaces the world
A wide-ranging assessment of Myanmar’s infrastructure deficit and its ability to start closing the gap has found that the country is likely to meet only half of those investment needs by 2040, dampening hopes that it can lift the estimated 54 million population out of poverty by then.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Myanmar opts for domestic power generation
Plans are underway to generate electricity from local power plants even though China, Thailand, Laos and India have offered to sell their electricity to Myanmar, a senior official of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) said.
— Bangkok Post

State Counsellor meets chairmen of private banks
State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi met with the chairmen of private banks yesterday at her office in Nay Pyi Taw, according to the State Counsellor’s Office.
— Eleven Myanmar

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Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Uber charged with violating Public Service Act
Several transport groups on Wednesday charged transport network company Uber with violation of the Public Service Act before the Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office, the first case filed against the foreign company.
— Manila Bulletin

BIR to go after big, medium-scale firms to collect P500 B
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is reviewing the tax compliance of big and medium-scale businesses to collect billions of pesos in deficiency taxes from these sources.
— Manila Bulletin

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Singapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

More SMEs investing in research & development
Investments by small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) in research and development (R&D) are growing at twice the pace it was in the past decade, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday.
— The New Paper

Analysts predict upside for wastewater-treatment firms
WASTEWATER treatment firms on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) have scored a flurry of contract wins lately, but with the sector currently out of favour among investors, these have barely moved their share prices.
— The Business Times

Startups get a fillip at one-north Festival
STARTUP activity was kicked up a notch on Wednesday, with the launch of the one-north Festival, a four-day celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation and research co-organised by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and JTC.
— The Business Times

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Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

CAAT helps airlines hit by ICAO ban
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has agreed to allow airlines required to halt international flights during the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) red-flag re-evaluation next month to operate an additional domestic flight per day per route until January.
— Bangkok Post

Two more suspects in extortion of Singaporean businessman arrested
Two more suspects wanted for the abduction and extortion of a Singaporean businessman were arrested on Tuesday (Aug 15), raising total suspects arrested to 10.
— Thai PBS

Travellers being warned they could face prison time for using e-cigarettes in Thailand
ELECTRONIC cigarettes may be widely used by smokers as a quitting aid but travellers are being warned they could face a lengthy prison sentence if they are caught with one in Thailand.
— News.com.au

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Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Finance Ministry proposes new tax on pickups
The Ministry of Finance has proposed that the Government apply a special consumption tax on pickups to be set at 60 percent of the tax on cars with nine seats or less with similar engine displacement, a move that would sharply increase their costs.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam spends nearly $1.7 billion on corn import every year
The figures represented increases of 9 percent in volume and 11 percent in value compared to the same period last year.
— VietnamNet Bridge

Cost of flying set to rise as Vietnam hikes airport service fees
Airlines are unlikely to bear the brunt of the additional cost they will have to pay for using the country’s airports.
— VnExpress

See here for more of today’s Vietnam Morning News

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.