ARTICLES

29 Sep 2023

Rise of Unicorns in Southeast Asia

Tham Siew Yean

Tham Siew Yean examines the state of startup developments across Southeast Asia, delving deeper into the success of unicorns in Singapore and the newest unicorn hub of Indonesia.

16 Aug 2023

ASEAN Economy Cannot Afford Business as Usual

Julia Tijaja|Denis Hew

Julia Tijaja and Denis Hew call for a renewed focus on productivity, for ASEAN’s long-term growth and competitiveness in its post-2025 economic agenda.

ASEAN ASEAN Connectivity ASEANFocus Economic Development

14 Aug 2023

Global Minimum Tax: Boon or Bane for Vietnam’s Economy?

Le Hong Hiep|Phan Xuan Dung

Vietnam’s impending acceptance of the global minimum tax regime for multinational enterprises could be a double-edged sword; the key is to ensure that imposing the minimum tax rate does not drive away major foreign investors.

Economic Development Vietnam

3 May 2023

Circular Economy for ASEAN’s Sustainable Future

Patree Witoonchart|Kannika Thampanishvong

Patree Witoonchart and Kannika Thampanishvong draw lessons from the implementation of Thailand’s Bio-Circular-Green Economy and how ASEAN countries can envision their circular economies.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Economic Development Sustainable Development Thailand

30 Mar 2023

ASEAN Economic Community in Uncertain Times: Can the Indonesian Chair Lead in a Challenging World?

Julia Tijaja

Julia Tijaja highlights several initiatives and Indonesia’s role in re-energising the ASEAN Economic Community.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Economic Development Indonesia Regional Cooperation

20 Sep 2022

Myanmar Coup Makers’ Major Challenge is a Failing Economy

Wai Moe

Myanmar’s economy has suffered considerably since the February 2021 coup and the prospects of recovery are dwindling given the ham-handed economic mismanagement of the ruling regime.

Economic Development Myanmar

16 Sep 2022

Chinese ‘Debt Traps’ in Southeast Asia: What the Data Say

Darren Cheong

This Long Read argues that while the terms of China’s aid and loans to Southeast Asian countries are less favourable compared to those of the World Bank, the weight of the evidence does not lend credence to the existence of a Chinese “debt trap” strategy in the region.

Belt and Road Initiative China China-Southeast Asia relations Economic Development Infrastructure

7 Sep 2022

ASEAN and Taiwan: Cooperation Opportunities amid Diplomatic Constraints

Melinda Martinus

While there are risks involved in pursuing deeper cooperation with Taiwan beyond trade and economics, ASEAN should not shy away from exploring possibilities even while abiding by the 'One China' policy.

ASEAN Asean Trade Economic Development Foreign Direct Investment Taiwan

28 Jul 2022

Offered but Not Taken: Why Are Businesses Not Using Government Support?

Michael Schaper

Time and again, surveys show that SME owner-operators prefer to get their information from peers, friends, family and local business organisations. This is followed by third-party professional advisers. Governments usually come last.

Economic Development Economic Planning Small and Medium Enterprises

19 Jul 2022

Enhancing ASEAN Access to Finance with Digital Banknote

Sithanonxay Suvannaphakdy

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) form an integral part of ASEAN economies, but they have not been able to access sufficient financial resources to unlock their growth potential.

ASEAN Digitalisation Economic Development Monetary Policy