Economy and industry
Australian, German tourists are the biggest spenders in Vietnam: report
Vietnam has released the first annual tourism report, naming the top visitor markets and the biggest spenders in 2014. According to the report from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), Australians topped the list in terms of spending per trip. The number of visitors from Australia ...
Smartphone ownership in Cambodia exploded since ’13: study
The number of Cambodians who own at least one smartphone has almost doubled since 2013, helping put Cambodia on track to having more than half of its population accessing the web in about a year, according to a new study. Almost 95 per cent of Cambodians ...
Lower Sesan 2 dam putting livelihoods and environment at risk
The giant Lower Sesan 2 dam is one of the most controversial construction projects in Cambodia. The electricity-generation potential of the Lower Sesan 2 is massive but, for the Mekong River’s aquatic life and nearby villagers, the price of such progress could be colossal. The mighty Mekong River ...
Cambodia and Laos: The challenge of altering attitudes towards startups
Startups in Cambodia and Laos might be focussed on local problems, but meeting those needs could foster greater receptivity. At 15 million and seven million strong respectively, Cambodia and Laos both have in excess of 50 per cent of their people who are 24 or younger. ...
Laos, China railway groundbreaking set for 2 December
A groundbreaking ceremony to begin the construction of a high-profile rail project linking Vientiane with the Chinese border is scheduled to take place on 2 December– the day the Lao People’s Democratic Republic marks its 40th anniversary. The governments of Laos and China signed an agreement ...
Laos, China confirm railway launch date
The Lao and Chinese governments have signed an agreement to officially launch the construction of a new 418 kilometre railway next month. The agreement to begin the long-delayed project was signed on Friday in Beijing, the Vientiane Times online reported on 18 November. Keep reading ...
Thailand still a top-10 Apec choice
Thailand lags behind arch rivals Vietnam and Indonesia as a top investment destination of Apec business leaders over the next 12 months. This finding was reported in PwC’s “2015 Apec CEO Survey: CEO Confidence in Asia Pacific Shaken but Strong”. Keep reading ...
Vietnam eases restriction on import of used machinery
Vietnam has introduced a new policy that will allow local companies to bring in machinery that have been in use overseas for less than 10 years, effectively easing a restriction on machines older than five years. According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the new ...
Vietnamese exporters ponder ways to penetrate new markets
The US and Latin American countries have huge demand for products made by sectors in which Vietnamese companies have advantages, but they need to study these markets carefully to enter them, a forum heard in Ho Chi Minh City on 17 November. They also need to ...
Cambodia at low risk of debt distress: IMF
Cambodia’s external public debt is well within acceptable limits, but remains vulnerable to financial shocks such as export slowdowns or exchange rate fluctuations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its latest assessment of the Kingdom’s economy. “Cambodia’s debt distress rating remains low with all debt ...
