Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

Asean needs a viable Rakhine agenda
When Asean’s Foreign Ministers met in Bangkok on July 31, they “reaffirmed their support for a more visible and enhanced role of Asean to support Myanmar in providing humanitarian assistance, facilitating the repatriation process [of the Rohingya] and promoting sustainable development”.
— Bangkok Post

Southeast Asia set for more headwinds after lackluster 2Q growth
Southeast Asian economies will likely face continued external headwinds for the rest of the year as the U.S.-China trade tensions weigh on the region, pressuring governments to take steps such as cutting interest rates to boost their economies.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

OTT oversight a hot topic in Asean
All eyes are on this week’s meeting of the Asean Telecommunication Regulators’ Council (ATRC) in Bangkok, watching for clues as to whether it will usher in joint guidelines that will get tough on over-the-top (OTT) operators, particularly where taxation is concerned.
— Bangkok Post

Southeast Asia Pulls Back On Online Gambling as China Rages
Southeast Asian countries are moving against their lucrative online gambling industries amid pressure from China to clamp down on a practice that’s ballooned due to demand from its own citizens.
— Bloomberg

Thailand asks tech firms to set up centers against fake news in ASEAN countries
Thailand is proposing that tech companies set up centers in each of the 10 Southeast Asian countries to curb the flow of “fake news” and fake accounts, the country’s telecoms regulator said on Monday.
— GMA News

SEA hits record-high number of tech investments in H1 2019
Tech investments into Southeast Asia fell to US$5.99b from US$8.31b at H1 2018 even as the number of deals rose to a record-high, according to a Cento Ventures report.
— Singapore Business Review

Dam-building race threatens the Mekong River
The Mekong River is a lifeline to many communities in Southeast Asia.
— Bangkok Post

Asean to see fastest data centre growth in next 5 years: report
SOUTH-EAST Asia will be the fastest-growing region for co-location data centres over the next five years, with an expected compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent from 2019 to 2024, according to a Cushman & Wakefield report on Aug 19.
— The Business Times

U.S. ban on Huawei largely ignored in Southeast Asia
Trade tensions between the United States and China have sent a shiver across Southeast Asia, a region that depends heavily on both sides for its economic health, but when it comes to 5G, many countries have shrugged off a U.S. ban on Chinese telecommunications equipment.
— The Japan Times

Gov’t urged to discuss boosting ties with ASEAN at special summit in Nov.
Competition between Korea and Japan has heated up in the Southeast Asian market.
— The Korea Times

Filipino youth more ready than SE Asian peers to work abroad
MORE THAN half of Filipino youth want to go abroad to land jobs, while the Philippines had the smallest percentage of this segment saying they would like to stay in the country to work, according to an online survey covering six Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members which the World Economic Forum published on Aug. 16.
— BusinessWorld Online

Cambodia to host Southeast Asia’s biggest shipping event
The biggest event for the shipping industry in Southeast Asia is coming to Cambodia next month.
— Khmer Times

Can ASEAN become a world-class destination for study?
As one of the world’s fastest-growing regions and backed up by a young population, experts say Southeast Asia is poised to become the next center of excellence and innovation.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

ASEAN SMART Patrol, a hope for the region’s forests
As a park chief himself, Soeung Khemarak, the deputy director of the Oyadav National Park in Rattanakiri province, fully understands the problems faced by Cambodia’s Kulen Prum Tep Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent parks near the border with Thailand where bombs, illegal logging and poaching are part of daily life.
— Eleven

Chinese enterprises’ investment in B&R countries to maintain steady growth: Deloitte
Chinese enterprises’ investment in Belt and Road countries will maintain steady growth, and diversify its areas of cooperation, a Deloitte report showed.
— Xinhuanet

Digital ASEAN initiative has opportunities for Vietnam’s digital economy
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Digital Conference was held by the World Economic Forum (WEF), earlier this week. The WEF is the international organisation for public-private cooperation.
— OpenGov

PCG hosts regional maritime security exercise
The Philippine Coast Guard is hosting a maritime security exercise that aims to address threats to maritime security in the ASEAN region.
— GMA News

Cambodian Delegation Attend 7th Conference of Foreign Affairs Committee of National Assembly of CLV in Vietnam
Cambodia’s senior delegation has attended the 7th Conference of Foreign Affairs Committees of the National Assembly of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (CLV) to support and enhance Development Triangle Area (DTA) in Vietnam.
— AKP

Sugar concerns: Suntory cites taxes as cautionary factor for South East Asia growth
Japanese F&B giant Suntory has recently revealed its performance in the South East Asian to be stronger than other foreign markets, but also expressed caution over continued growth in the region due to sugar tax implementations.
— FoodNavigator-Asia

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Raksmey Khoem          @raksmey.aecnews

 

Kingdom’s 2020 tax revenue collection set to rise once again
Cambodia’s 2020 tax revenues are expected to continue to grow, while transparency is also set to improve as tax officials become more aware of anti-corruption laws, according to the director general of the General Department of Taxation (GDT) on Monday.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Ministry records decrease in dengue
The Health Ministry yesterday said that the number of people contracting dengue fever continues to decrease across the Kingdom in the wake of a spike.
— Khmer Times

VOA claims about lack of action against Chinese Criminals rejected
The Interior Ministry on Friday hit out at a Voice of America programme in which the Kingdom was accused of not prosecuting Chinese nationals who committed crimes but instead deports them to their home country to face action.
— Khmer Times

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy         @justhine.aecnews

 

Ministry opens oil and gas data to boost exploration, exploitation
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry recently announced a regulation that will open access for industry stakeholders to the nation’s oil and gas data, which is expected to encourage exploration and exploitation in a time of need.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia’s non-oil, gas export looked to grow 8 pct this year
Shipment of Indonesia’s non-oil and gas products overseas has been forecast to edge up by the end is year, albeit global economic uncertainty erodes demand and prices.
— Xinhua

Jokowi’s Cabinet overhaul gets business thumb up
While voicing their support for President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s plan to shake up ministerial structures as part of his second-term bureaucratic reforms, businesses and analysts have said that more could be done to further support efforts to revitalize the economy.
— The Jakarta Post

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Raksmey Khoem           @raksmey.aecnews

 

Labor Imbalance Causes Unemployment in Laos
An imbalance in the supply and demand of labor in some sectors poses a challenge for Laos in its efforts to tackle rising unemployment.
— The Laotian Times

Govt, UN prepare for better emergency response
Humanitarian groups from the government, the United Nations and international civil society organisations met last week to discuss gaps in national crisis response and ways to overcome them.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

Laos plans regulatory reforms to boost trade at border crossings
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce will continue efforts to improve or remove unnecessary measures and regulations relating to exports and imports to bolster cross-border trade.
— ANN/ Vientiane Times

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

KPDNHEP to hand over power on supervision of gas distribution in S’wak to state govt – PM’s Office
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) has agreed to hand over the power on the supervision of gas distribution in Sarawak to the state government, as according to the 2016 Sarawak Distribution Gas Ordinance.
— The Borneo Post

Malaysia, Singapore reach ‘understanding’ over RTS Link project: Malaysian Transport Minister
Malaysia and Singapore have reached “an understanding” over the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link project, Malaysia’s Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Monday (Aug 19).
— CNA

Khazanah injects US$72 million in Malaysia Airlines as it considers offers
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd said on Monday (Aug 19) it had pumped another 300 million ringgit (US$72 million) into Malaysia Airlines to keep the national carrier afloat as it considers offers for the company.
— CNA

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

Tax amnesty proposed, prompting renewed debate
The chorus of voices defending and opposing the reduction of tax rates for undisclosed income has come to the fore again following the submission of the Union Tax Bill 2019 to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw earlier this month.
— Myanmar Times

Bangladesh ready to repatriate 3,500 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar
Some 3,500 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been cleared to return home to Myanmar beginning this week, a top official said Monday (Aug 19), nearly two years after a military crackdown sparked their exodus.
— CNA

A distant vision for Myanmar’s industrial future
Every morning hundreds of cars, trucks and other vehicles carrying factory workers squeeze into a two-lane bridge across Yangon’s Bago river.
— Asia Times

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

 

Graft Gobbles 20% of the Philippines’ Budget
Corruption eats up US$13.35 billion, or 20% of the Philippines’ budget every year, the country’s Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos said on Thursday.
— OCCRP

Dengue cases hit 188,000; 807 dead
As the number of dengue cases hit more than 188,000 this month, the Department of Health (DOH) has asked its regional directors to localize their approach to curbing the epidemic being experienced by the country.
— The Philippine Star

Philippines checks for African swine fever as pig deaths rise
The Philippines has set up a crisis management team to determine if the deadly African swine fever virus has reached the country after officials detected a rise in pig deaths in some areas.
— Reuters

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy         @justhine.aecnews

 

New guide offers Singapore maritime firms a framework for sustainability reporting
THE MARITIME and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), along with its partners, have launched the first sector-specific guide that will provide both listed and non-listed maritime companies with a practical framework, including best practices, for creating a maritime sustainability report.
— The Business Times

PSD to raise retirement, re-employment ages in 2021; more than 2,000 public officers to benefit
The Public Service Division (PSD) said on Monday (Aug 19) that it will raise the retirement and re-employment ages of its officers by one year to 63 and 68 respectively in July 2021, benefiting more than 2,000 employees.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Govt no longer requires typhoid vaccination for food handlers including foreign workers
The Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has finally revealed in a joint statement yesterday (17 Aug) that there has been an outbreak of typhoid fever in Singapore.
— The Online Citizen

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

 

Prawit pours cold water on visa plan
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Monday weighed in on the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s proposal to waive visa requirements for Chinese and Indian tourists to stimulate the economy, saying he disagreed with granting them easy access.
— Bangkok Post

Thai Immigration bristles about TM30 revolt as it copes with PR disaster
The TM30 form, as well as the associated TM28 form, have now become a huge public relations liability for the Thai Immigration Department.
— The Thaiger

Thailand’s second quarter growth rate lowest in 19 quarters
Thailand’s economic growth rate for the second quarter of this year registered at 2.3%, compared to 2.8% for the first quarter, which is the lowest in 19 quarters, said Mr. Tossaporn Sirisamphan, secretary-general of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), Thailand’s economic think-tank.
— Thai PBS News

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men           @MenSreypov

 

Vietnam to auction new 4G spectrum as telecom speeds fall
Vietnam will auction a new high-frequency 4G spectrum since the existing one has been almost fully taken resulting in lower speeds.
— VnExpress

HCM City has many things to do to become seed production hub
Ho Chi Minh City holds potential for crop seed export, but it still needs the State’s support to boost seed development and production which have yet to meet expectations so far.
— VietnamPlus

Organ trafficking linked to SA men’s disappearance in Vietnam
According to the Gift of the Givers, organ traffickers may be behind the disappearance of two South African teachers in Vietnam.
— IOL

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

 

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About Asean morning news.

Asean morning news roundup and its individual country morning news roundups are the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of Asean English language news headlines published. Each weekday we scour hundreds of local and international news sites and websites to find the most recent Asean English language news today.

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