Asean Morning News For October 11

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Metro Manila classes suspended Nov. 16-17 for Asean summit
Students in the metropolis can look forward to a long weekend next month after all Metro Manila mayors agreed on Tuesday to suspend classes on Nov. 16 and 17 as the country would be hosting the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Siam Cement Group pouring in investments to strengthen business
SIAM CEMENT GROUP (SCG), is looking at expansions big time, and hopes to double its number of employees by 2026, with half based in Asean, outside Thailand.
— The Nation

500 delegates attend 1st Asean Conference on Healthy Ageing
About 500 delegates from the Asean region, Japan and from as far as the United Kingdom and the United States gather here to attend the 1st Asean Conference on Healthy Ageing.
— The Borneo Post

ASEAN ministers to meet in Laos to discuss disaster management
The fifth ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management is scheduled to be held in northern Lao city of Luang Prabang with focus on the need to prepare resources in readiness for disasters so as to lessen their impacts.
— Xinhuanet

Managing migration better can boost growth in Asean
Managing migration better can boost growth in Asean To build on this status, the WB said the Philippines should continue to evaluate and improve its migration management system, including oversight of recruitment agencies, programs for returned migrants, and data sharing and interoperability.
— Newburgh Gazette

TOA to establish three more overseas plants in Asean leadership drive
TOA Paint (Thailand) plans to set up three additional production plants overseas – in Indonesia, Myanmar and Cambodia – as it aims to become the leading player in Asean paint and coatings markets.
— The Nation

Digital adaption to decide Asia’s future winners
Region is set to drive a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ that leverages communication tech into innovation and growth but many will struggle to keep up with change
— Asia Times

Southeast Asia top choice for Chinese tourists
Southeast Asian countries remain top destinations for Chinese tourists during their National Day holiday, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported citing the China Tourism Academy (CTA).
— Borneo Bulletin

Asean Organic Cosmetics Market to Witness US$ 4.4 billion in revenues through 2020
he global organic cosmetics market was valued at nearly US$ 40 billion in 2015, and by 2020, it is expected to reach US$ 66 billion, increasing at a CAGR of over 10%. ASEAN, an emerging market for organic cosmetics, is expected to witness high demand, driven a number of factors on which information is offered in the report, “Organic Cosmetics Market: ASEAN Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2014-2020”.
— Open PR

Asean think tank cuts 2017, 2018 growth forecasts for PH
hink tank Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (Amro) has cut its 2017 and 2018 growth forecasts for the Philippines partly on the back of slower investment and consumption in the first half, while flagging risks if the government cannot deliver on its ambitious infrastructure plan.
— The Inquirer.net

PHL joined 14th China-Asean Expo
SPEARHEADING promotion efforts under the blooming economic relations with China, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Nora K. Terrado led the Philippine Delegation to the 14th China-Asean (Caexpo) and 14th China-Asean Business and Investment Summit held from September 12 to 15 at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center in Guangxi province, China.
— Business Mirror

ASEAN-India Music Festival 2017: When Delhi Became One With Music At The Iconic Purana Qila
Delhi’s iconic Purana Qila glittered in gold as the first edition of ASEAN-India Music Festival 2017 kick started in the capital on Friday and concluded on Sunday with Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s power packed performance.
— News 18

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Potential for Cambodia’s aviation sector to soar ahead
Cambodia is well positioned to capitalise on the rapid growth of air passenger traffic worldwide, with the Kingdom already one of the fastest growing tourism markets in Southeast Asia and set to grow further as more than a third of the world’s passenger air traffic passes through the region.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Siem Reap mall, billed as city’s biggest, to open in 2018
The Heritage Walk, a multi-storey mall and entertainment centre being erected on a 1-hectare site in Siem Reap city, is set to become the provincial capital’s biggest shopping complex when it opens its doors early next year.
— The Phnom Penh Post

PM seeks tax break for low earners
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday announced that he would ask parliament to raise the threshold on taxable income to relieve taxpayers beginning at the start of next year, another in a string of populist moves before next year’s elections.
— The Phnom Penh Post

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Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Hard-Line Political Islam Isn’t the Only Threat to Indonesia’s Democracy
The stakes of the election for governor of Jakarta earlier this year were, in the eyes of nearly all observers, much larger than that particular office.
— World Politics Review

Three Banks Set on Issuing e-Money Cards on December 2017
Bank Indonesia (BI) continues to push foward the toll booth electronication payment program. One of them is an opportunity for financial institutions to be issuers of electronic money or e-money cards.
— Netral Times

Mystery over weak Indonesia spending
Almost four million new jobs, rising wages and eight interest-rate cuts in Indonesia should have been enough to spur consumers into action in the world’s fourth most populous nation.’
— The Star Online

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Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Japan funds public park for Xayaboury
The Japanese government has provided over 16 billion kip (US$2 million) for the construction of the Lao-Japanese Friendship Park in Xayaboury province.
— Vientiane Times

Laos, Vietnam speeding up oil pipeline project
Lao authorities are gearing up to realise the planned bonded warehouses and pipeline project from Vietnam’s Hon La port to Laos’ Khammuan province as the countries’ leaders agreed to speed up implementation.
— Vientiane Times

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Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Maersk semisubmersible awarded contract in Malaysia
The semisubmersible Maersk Deliverer has been awarded a contract in Southeast Asia by Total E&P Malaysia. With an estimated duration of 60 days, the contract covers the drilling of one exploration well in the Block DW-N Sabah located offshore Malaysia.
— World Oil

Malaysia to benefit from global economic recovery
Malaysia is well-positioned to benefit from the recovery in the global economic cycle, while the domestic market is backed by adequate monetary policy as well as a credible central bank to navigate changes faced by the market, said Wellington Management Singapore Pte Ltd vice president and investment director, Andrew Sharp-Paul.
— The Borneo Post

Malaysia’s royals call for religious tolerance in rare public intervention
Malaysia’s royals made a rare intervention into public affairs on Tuesday, calling for unity and religious harmony after what they described as “excessive actions” in the name of Islam.
— Reuters

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Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Ceasefire in Myanmar ends amid allegations of government-initiated ethnic cleansing
Myanmar authorities said there was no sign of attacks by Rohingya Muslim militants on Tuesday as a one-month insurgent ceasefire came to end.
— Reuters/Business Insider

Myanmar takes first step to ease Buddhist-Muslim tension
Myanmar on Tuesday launched its first bid to improve relations between Buddhists and Muslims since an eruption of deadly violence in August inflamed communal tension and triggered an exodus of some 520,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.
— Today Online

YHI unit in joint venture with Myanmar firm to market car and industrial products
MAINBOARD-LISTED YHI International, through its wholly owned subsidiary YHI Corporation (Singapore), has entered into a joint venture agreement with Aung San Company, a private firm in Myanmar dealing with the import of car products such as wheels, tyres, accessories, spare parts and general merchandise.
— The Business Times

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Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

IMF, AMRO see slower PHL growth for this year
THE PHILIPPINES will likely remain a growth leader in Southeast Asia, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and regional think tank ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) said, pencilling a 6.6% forecast for 2017 compared to 2016’s 6.9%.
— Business World

Philippines earns WB praises for support of migrant workers
WHILE intra-Asean migration significantly rose during the past decade, more Filipinos were able to find greener pastures outside the region, thanks to government policies that reduced costs for migrant workers, the World Bank said on Monday.
— The Nation

Senators hit 70% cut in housing budget
SENATORS Franklin Drilon and Joseph Victor Ejercito on Tuesday deplored the 70% reduction in the proposed budget of the housing sector next year—from P15.3 billion in 2017 to P4.5 billion in 2018.
— The Manila Times

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Singapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Sugar tax in Singapore – too bitter a pill to swallow?
The sugar tax was mentioned in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally as a solution that has been considered and implemented in other countries to reduce the intake of dietary sugar. He stated that over-consumption of sugar is correlated with an increased risk of diabetes, a major health issue in Singapore.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Over 200 firms, individuals honoured for boosting workplace health
When he was a young doctor, Professor Chia Kee Seng met a father and son who suffered from breathlessness. Both worked in a factory producing tombstones.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

S’pore should ‘move with more urgency towards gracious society’
The push for a more a gracious society should take on greater urgency in order for Singapore to thrive in the decades ahead, said former head of the civil service Lim Siong Guan on Tuesday (Oct 10).
— Today Online

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Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Thai junta sets firm date for election after many false starts
Thailand will hold a general election in November 2018, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Tuesday, the most precise date he has given yet for the vote since taking power in a 2014 military coup.
— Reuters

Floods likely in provinces but not Bangkok
The government on Tuesday increased discharges from dams in the Central Plains and the Northeast and warned people in low-lying areas in the regions of upcoming floods while Bangkok remained safe despite concerns.
— Bangkok Post

Govt faces more EEC challenges than was thought, forum hears
SOME large infrastructure projects in the Eastern Economic Corridor are opposed by local communities, while a number have high costs and may not be able to proceed at the desired pace, researchers at the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) have warned.
— The Nation

See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News

Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnam: Ministry proposes relaxing two-child policy
In a bid to boost low fertility rate, the Ministry of Health has proposed relaxing the country’s two-child policy, allowing Vietnamese parents to decide the number of children they want.
— The Nation

Vietnam Airlines, Air France sign cooperation pact
Vietnam’s flag carrier and Air France have signed an agreement to deepen their cooperation to tap the growing travel market between Vietnam and Europe.
— Bangkok Post

Vietnam calls on Cambodia to protect immigrants
Vietnam called on Cambodia on Tuesday to guarantee the legal rights of Vietnamese migrants living there after the Cambodian government said it would revoke the invalid documents of 70,000 immigrants, most of them ethnic Vietnamese.
— Reuters/Business Insider

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.