Asean morning news
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
The Prime Minister opened the 37th ASEAN Minister on Energy Meeting
In Bangkok (September 4th 2019), Prime Minister His Excellency General Prayut Chan-ocha presided over the opening ceremony of the 37th ASEAN Minister on Energy Meeting and Associated Meeting and ASEAN Energy Business Forum under the concept of “Advancing Energy Transition Through Partnership and Innovation”, collaborate in developing ASEAN energy innovation in the era of energy transition into a sustainable energy era At Crystal A Room, The Athenee Hotel, Bangkok.
— Bangkok Post
WWF urges Asean banks to ‘go green’
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) might be associated in the public eye with saving pandas, but a new report from the environmental organisation takes on the banking system.
— Bangkok Post
China to promote commerce with ASEAN countries
The 4th China-ASEAN Chambers of Commerce Leaders Summit will kick off on Sept. 20 in Nanning, capital of south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Thursday.
— Xinhuanet
Southeast Asia tech exits in upward trajectory: report
At least 700 startups in the region are expected to exit between 2023-2025 in an ecosystem that is maturing at a rapid pace, according to a report titled “Southeast Asia Exit Landscape: A New Frontier” co-authored by Golden Gate Ventures, an early stage VC firm based in Singapore, and business school INSEAD.
— KrAsia
Groups call for end to coal-power in SE Asia
Environmental groups meeting in Bangkok have called on China, Japan and South Korea to stop funding new coal power plants across Southeast Asia. They also called on Australia to stop exporting coal.
— Asia Times
Grab to Spend $150 Million on AI to Build Regional Super App
Southeast Asian ride-hailing startup Grab Holdings Inc. intends to invest $150 million in artificial intelligence and hiring more engineers over the next year, accelerating an expanding business that now includes food delivery, digital payments and digital content.
— Bloomberg (video)
Prayut urges Asean to back micro-sized businesses
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has urged Asean countries to support “micro-SMEs” by keeping their owners abreast of digital technological know-how and to ensure they have access to financial resources.
— Bangkok Post
ASEAN desperately needs sustainable tourism
From centuries-old temples in Cambodia to sleek new public transport systems in Singapore, tourism’s rapid growth is set to play a critical role in shaping infrastructure use in ASEAN.
— The Asean Post
Moon unveils vision for Korea’s cooperation with Mekong region
President Moon Jae-in on Thursday unveiled his vision to promote South Korea’s cooperation with Southeast Asian countries around the Mekong River.
— The Korea Times
Thailand pushes energy development in ASEAN
The Energy Ministry of Thailand is ready to push forward five plans to promote energy sector in ASEAN at the 37th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) that scheduled for Sept 2-6 in Bangkok.
— Thailand Business News
Thailand supports micro SMEs with digital adoption
Thailand’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister (and the Chairman of ASEAN in 2019) told an academic forum that the country is ready to support micro-SMEs in the adoption of digital technology and sees the private sector’s participation as an important mechanism for further collaboration within the ASEAN region.
— OpenGov
Digital economy for an inclusive ASEAN Community
A few days ago, ride-hailing firm Grab unveiled an ambitious plan to invest US$500 million in Việt Nam over the next five years, just a month after it announced an investment of $2 billion into Indonesia.
— Viet Nam News
ASEAN officials call for end of violence in HK
Senior ASEAN officials are calling for the peaceful resolution of the protests that have rattled Hong Kong for the past months.
— Eleven
Tariffs benefit Japan’s contract manufacturers in Southeast Asia
As U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods spur manufacturers to rethink their supply chains, the upheaval offers big opportunities for Japanese contract electronics makers with ties to Southeast Asia.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)
The economic slowdown in China threatens to deepen inequality and poverty in ASEAN
Concerns about economic recession are spreading across Southeast Asia. gross domestic product (GDP) growth, financial markets and trade in ASEAN have begun to mirror economic slowdowns in the US and China.
— Asean Today
Southeast Asia CEOs Unravel the Secret of the Digital Economy to Bring Benefit at Home
A group of CEOs from a range of Southeast Asian based firms have had the unique opportunity to take home the secret sauce of leveraging digital technology to help support their own firms as well as the wider economy.
— YahooFinance (media release)
Taking concrete steps to advance Southeast Asia’s digital economy
AT the Asean Economic Ministers’ annual meeting taking place this week members will undoubtedly be discussing how to address many of the global economic headwinds that we currently face.
— The Business Times (paywall)
Cambodia morning news
Compiled by Raksmey Khoem @raksmey.aecnews
Gov’t defends Kingdom’s ‘homegrown’ democracy
Senior government officials on Thursday defended the Kingdom’s “homegrown” democracy, and hit back at criticisms from foreign countries and former leaders of the Supreme Court-dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) which claimed it had been set back.
— The Phnom Penh Post
CNRP Activist Arrested in Cambodia, Held on Unknown Charge
Cambodian authorities arrested a former opposition party activist on Thursday, taking him into custody in northwestern Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey province where he had gone to work as a taxi driver, sources told RFA’s Khmer Service as the government of Hun Sen continued legal action against the party it banned nearly two years ago.
— RFA
Cambodia 5G set to leapfrog ASEAN rivals with Huawei and ZTE
The race to launch fifth-generation network services in Cambodia is heating up, with major telcos rolling out 5G base stations backed by Chinese tech vendors Huawei Technologies and ZTE and earmarking hundreds of millions of dollars in related investment.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)
See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news
Indonesia morning news
Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews
Government to raise tobacco excise tax by at least 10% in 2020
Indonesia’s notoriously low cigarette prices may soon be on the rise as the government is set to significantly increase the tobacco excise tax next year.
— Coconuts
Indonesia’s corporate tax cut to cost up to $6 billion: tax chief
A planned Indonesian corporate tax cut would cost the government of President Joko Widodo up to $6 billion in lost revenue in a fiscal year, the head of the tax department said on Thursday.
— Reuters
Aceh plans to punish those who endanger protected wildlife with up to 100 strokes of the cane
Aceh, the only province in Indonesia with special autonomy to enact sharia law, is often criticized by human rights activists for publicly caning those found guilty of morality-based “crimes” such as adultery and homosexual relations.
— Coconuts (paywall)
See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news
Lao PDR morning news
Compiled by Raksmey Khoem @raksmey.aecnews
Many provinces in Laos suffering after widespread flooding
Many provinces in central and southern Laos are struggling to cope with floods after days of heavy rain unleashed by a tropical depression, with Salavan province being the hardest hit.
— Xinhua
Floods Last Year Cause Rice Prices in Laos to Double.
The price of sticky rice is skyrocketing in Laos, in the wake of massive floods in one of the country’s most fertile regions and various other causes, amid rising prices of food in general due to the African swine flu epidemic that has ravaged China and Southeast Asia over the past year.
— RFA
Lao, Malaysian universities partner to strengthen social research
Lao lecturers and specialists from Malaysia’s University of Malaya gathered in Vientiane on Wednesday for a three-day meeting to share experiences in social research, aiming to build the capacity of trainers in this field.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)
See here for more of today’s Lao morning news
Malaysia morning news
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Malaysia cannot easily accept some of investigation team’s findings on MH17: Mahathir
Malaysia cannot “easily accept” some of the findings of the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
— CNA
Dr M: Malaysia not threatened by Chinese, US military presence in region
Malaysia does not feel threatened by the US plans to deploy missiles in the Asia-Pacific region or by Chinese warships there, but it is worried about potential accidents, the country’s prime minister.
— Malay Mail
MMEA seizes 42.5 tonnes of fish, foreign fishing vessels near Tanjung Sirik in Mukah
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Sarawak region has seized a total of 42.5 tonnes of fish following the detention of four foreign fishing vessels near Tanjung Sirik in Mukah on Sept 3.
— The Borneo Post
See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News
Myanmar morning news
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
K3 trillion more expected from higher power tariffs
The government is expected to collect K3 trillion more from the electricity generation in fiscal 2019-2020 compared to the previous year now that power tariffs have been raised since July, Deputy Minister of Planning and Finance U Maung Maung Win said in the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (Assembly of the Union) on Wednesday.
— Myanmar Times
Myanmar plans to privatize water distribution in Yangon
Myanmar’s Yangon municipal authorities have planned to privatize water distribution as part of its efforts to deal with water pipe leakage, water losses and staff shortage, according to the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC) Thursday.
— Xinhua
Myanmar’s biggest airport closed after Chinese-made military plane skids off runway
Myanmar’s largest airport was forced to close temporarily after a military plane skidded off the runway, forcing inbound international flights to be diverted, an official at the civil aviation department said on Thursday.
— South China Morning Post
See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news
Philippines morning news
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
FDI pledges double in first half
COMMITTED foreign direct investments (FDI) grew by more than half annually in the three months to June, helping foreign pledges double last semester.
— BusinessWorld Online
2020 budget refiled in House, no insertion
The House version of the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 has been refiled after it was withdrawn last week due to a plea to increase the budget of some of its members by P90 billion for additional infrastructure projects.
— The Philippine Star
Inflation slides to 35-month low of 1.7%
Inflation rate in August dropped to a 35-month low of 1.7 percent from 2.4 percent in July, a development that could prompt monetary authorities to further reduce the benchmark interest rates in their meeting later this month.
— Manilastandard.net
See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news
Singapore morning news
Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews
Singapore, China tie-up to ease sea port clearance with the use of e-certificates
The maritime authorities of Singapore and China will cooperate to issue, use and accept electronic certificates for port clearance and Port State Control (PSC) inspections, they announced on Thursday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)
$69m investment fund targeting supply chain and logistics start-ups launched
Reefknot Investments has launched a US$50 million (S$69.4 million) fund targeting high-growth technology businesses in the supply chain and logistics industry.
— The Straits Times
Singapore leader in waiting seen as ‘cut from same cloth’ as Lee family
Mild-mannered, studious and seen as “cut from the same cloth” as his predecessors, Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will face the daunting task of reshaping a struggling economy if, as expected, he becomes the wealthy city-state’s next leader.
— Reuters
See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news
Thailand morning news
Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ
Aftermath of Podul leaves 16 dead
Sixteen people have been killed since northern Thailand began experiencing the impacts of Tropical Storm Podul, coupled with a strong southwestern monsoon, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said yesterday.
— Bangkok Post
Thailand dengue cases top 55K, Bangkok reports 3 deaths
Health officials in Thailand reported in an update this week that through September 2, the country has seen 55,206 cases reported from all 77 provinces.
— Outbreak News Today
Find, punish Porlajee’s killers, says PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said he has instructed investigators to ensure their probe into the death of Karen rights activist Porlajee Billy Rakchongcharoen is watertight and brings the culprits to justice, no matter who they are.
— Bangkok Post
See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news
Vietnam morning news
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Vietnam plans to nationalise civilian airports operator
Vietnam is considering nationalising Airports Corporation of Vietnam, a move that economists say may hurt investor sentiment and hamper the Southeast Asian country’s privatisation drive.
— Reuters
Vietnam’s steel exports bring in US$1.93 billion in first seven months
Steel exports generated US$1.93 billion in the first seven months of 2019, with the US remaining the largest importer of Vietnamese steel products.
— NDO
Vietnamese province invites businesses for developing production chains
The south Vietnamese province of Dong Nai is calling on domestic and foreign firms to participate in developing 52 production chains in agriculture till 2020, focusing on national and provincial-level products and local specialties that meet market demand and adapt with climate change.
— Fresh Plaza
See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news
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Asean morning news for September 6 added by Digital Editor on
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