Bambang Brodjonegoro, dean of the ADB’s Tokyo-based think tank, said Southeast Asia’s largest middle-income economies are at risk of long-term stagnation as demographic advantages fade and productivity growth stalls.
As Indonesia asserts control over its vast nickel reserves, a new supply route is forming between Southeast Asia (SEA) and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). France and Hungary are emerging as key European partners in the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, linking mineral extraction in Indonesia to battery production in
French President Emmanuel Macron called France “a power that respects its partners” during his 25-29 May tour of Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore, when he promoted his country as a strategic partner for Southeast Asia (SEA) amid growing US-China rivalry. The trip focused on trade, defence and clean energy cooperation, as
The landscape of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting is shifting in 2025 as regulatory mandates grow more stringent globally, even while political pushback intensifies in parts of the world, and most notably the US. The regulatory trend is clear. Governments and oversight bodies are moving to standardise and enforce
Thailand’s Entertainment Complex (EC) bill, which includes provisions to legalise casinos, has been delayed as Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra deemed it unready for cabinet review. Speaking to reporters outside Government House on Tuesday, she said the government must consider all stakeholders’ views before the bill moves forward. A
US President Donald Trump has nominated entrepreneur Anji Sinha as his pick for the next US ambassador to Singapore, one of its key diplomatic postings in Asia, following his return to the White House in January. Little is publicly known about Dr Sinha, who has no discernible online presence or
Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore have made significant advances in economic development and infrastructure, efforts on sustainability and equality targets remain uneven, the United Nations’ ESCAP 2025 SDG (sustainable development goals) Progress Report found. Thailand leads the trio in overall SDG achievement and ranks first in ASEAN, which is comprised of
Malaysia is taking a proactive approach to economic growth and trade, balancing its global partnerships while maintaining a non-aligned stance in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government pursued new trade agreements, economic growth slowed to 5% in the fourth quarter of 2024, raising
Singapore’s business environment is set to face multiple challenges in 2025, with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) expecting continued pressure from rising costs and declining productivity. Meanwhile, the Singapore Exchange is undergoing a leadership shake-up as it seeks to revive its struggling equities market. Economic forecasts have been adjusted
Singapore’s economic outlook for 2025 presents a mixed picture, with steady growth tempered by uncertainty as the government prepares a crucial budget ahead of the next election. Analysts view the upcoming fiscal plan as a defining test for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s leadership, with expectations that it will
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has assured that state-owned oil company Petronas will uphold all its contractual obligations with Sarawak’s Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros) in Parliament on 17 February, addressing concerns over the companies’ ongoing negotiations. Petronas will "maintain all existing domestic and international contractual obligations", Anwar
Thailand’s economy grew 3.2% year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, falling short of projections, as sluggish private investment and slower government spending weighed on growth. Analysts warn that trade tensions and global uncertainties could pose further challenges in 2025, prompting calls for government stimulus measures to sustain
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has visited the country’s southern provinces, promising new investments and infrastructure projects as part of its levelling-up agenda. The Thai premier met local leaders in Phatthalung and Songkhla to discuss flood management and economic development. She wrote on Facebook that her government is “ready
Singaporean delivery app Grab contributed 0.5% to Malaysia’s GDP in 2023, according to a new report by Kuala Lumpur-based advisory firm Econworks. The platform created up to MYR 9.9bn (USD 2.24bn) from 277,237 earning opportunities, generating MYR 3.7bn in household income, the report says,
Singapore is an increasingly big player in the foodtech industry, ranking second placed globally in a new report by StartupBlink. A branch of food science, foodtech focuses on production, preservation and research and development, ensuring product security, safety and quality standards. The city state’s position behind only the US