Economy and industry

The US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the biggest trade deals in history, was signed in New Zealand on 4 February as protestors demonstrated over fears for jobs and sovereignty. The ambitious deal, promising the elimination of nearly all tariffs among the 12 member nations, aims to break ...

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc called on ministries and agencies to co-operate better with the coast guard and border guard in fighting petrol smuggling. Phuc, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and ...

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a decree to introduce iodine, iron, zinc and vitamin A as compulsory elements that need to be contained in Vietnamese food. Decree 09/2016/ND-CP on food fortification released last week and to take effect from 15 March this year ...

A representative of a Svay Rieng province special economic zone that was rocked by violent strikes in December discussed security and law enforcement during a meeting on 2 February with Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, the province’s ruling party lawmaker. Keep reading ...

Investments in Cambodia grew by 18 per cent last year, with a bulk of this capital flowing into the infrastructure, agriculture and tourism projects, the Council for Development of Cambodia announced on 3 February. Keep reading ...

Many cars in the northern parts of Laos appear not to have started in the cold weather and some people have speculated that maybe the stranded motorists were using low grade fuels. Last week saw many vehicles in the northern provinces of Phongsaly, Huaphan and Xieng ...

Human resource development trends have gradually coincided with labour demand as 146,486 people graduated from Laos’ various educational institutes in various fields over the past five years, a report has showed. Of the graduates, 4,629 people finished their education courses in foreign countries, while the remainder ...

Thailand’s Labour Ministry is preparing to document illegal migrant workers nationwide as part of the government’s attempt to crack down on illegal worker numbers and upgrade its records, says Department of Employment head Arak Phrommanee.  The plan will target specific geographic areas where illegal migrants are ...

A Bus Rapid Transit system, designed to relieve traffic congestion in Yangon and increase the safety of commuters, is aiming to launch the second week of February. At present, 18 buses have arrived in Myanmar that will run from Htaukkyant to 8 Mile junction, from where ...

The Bank of Thailand on 3 February unanimously resolved to maintain the policy rate at 1.50 per cent per annum. Keep reading ...