2 APRIL 2012 ISSUE 70 CARI CAPTURES BETA 1 4 8 2 5 9 3 7 6 10 ASEAN Major Airports’ Capacity The airports of major ASEAN cities are not properly equipped to meet the demands of the region’s growing aviation industry. ASEAN airport terminals and their surrounding infrastructure have not kept up with the increasing number of international passengers and carriers in the region 01 CLOGGED AIRPORTS HAMPER SE ASIA CARRIERS ASEAN Planes are commonly forced to circle overhead or be idle on the tarmac at the overcrowded airports in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok, as passengers are delayed by queues at immigration desks, security checkpoints and baggage carousels ASEAN airlines collectively ordered US$47 billion worth of aircrafts for the coming decade, but the deals could be under threat because of the inability of airports to keep pace ASEAN governments are gradually investing in new terminals and improving congestion around airports Reuters (26 March 2012) Source: Airport Technology News
Transcript
2 APR IL 20 12 I SSUE 70
CARICAPTURES
BETA
1
48
2
59
3
7
6
10
ASEAN Major Airports’ Capacity
The airports of major ASEAN cities
are not properly equipped to meet
the demands of the region’s growing
aviation industry. ASEAN airport terminals and their
DISCLAIMER: The news articles contained in this report are extracted and republished from various credible news sources. As such, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) does not make any guarantee, representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness, reliability or fairness of any such information and opinion contained in this report. Should any information be doubtful, readers are advised to make their own independent evaluation of such information.
Thailand
04
The Thai government approved
a series of measures designed to
encourage investment and revive
manufacturing in the flood-hit
Pathumthani and Ayutthaya
provinces. Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI) will
waive corporate tax for 8 years, up to 150%
of the value of an investment in the two
provinces
Tariffs on imported machinery, designed
to encourage replacement of damaged
equipment will be waived
The BoI also approved 11 new projects in
electricity gerneation worth US$2.7 billion
Channel News Asia (28 March 2012)
thAilANd
ApprovES
tAx iNCENtivE
to booSt
iNvEStMENt
The Vietnam Centre for Economics
and Policy Research (VEPN)
highlighted the country’s low
productivity and lack of
competitiveness due to of an
overreliance on public sector driven
growth. VEPN Director Dr. Nguyen Duc Thanh
criticised the government’s growth strategy
of channelling investments into state-
owned enterprises
State-owned enterprises have grown
large enough to be able to abuse
03viEtNAMESE ECoNoMiC
rEStruCturiNg urgEd to SpEEd up
Vietnam
government policies, circumvent
procedures, and crowd the private sector
out of the economy
Underdeveloped financial markets hinder
private sector activity due to the lack of
credit
Loose monetary policy combined with
unproductive investments is destabilising
the Vietnamese economy and encouraging
inflation
VEPN’s policy recommendations include
SOE reform, inflation-targeting monetary
policy, price stabilisation, transparency,
and communication with the public
Tuoi Tre News, Vietnam (26 March 2012)
Thailand, ASEAN
02Thailand’s banks are in a strong
position to expand and compete
regionally. According to Deloitte, the Thai banking
DISCLAIMER: The news articles contained in this report are extracted and republished from various credible news sources. As such, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) does not make any guarantee, representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness, reliability or fairness of any such information and opinion contained in this report. Should any information be doubtful, readers are advised to make their own independent evaluation of such information.
MyANMAr
MoNitor06 Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
resumed campaigning on 31 March after
recovering from an illness she contracted in
the Mergui Archipelago
Bloomberg (26 March 2012)
In keeping with economic reforms,
Myanmar’s central bank reconfirmed that
its currency will enter a managed float on
1 April at the rate of 818 kyat to the dollar,
close to its black market value
The Star (28 March 2012)
Three key industries emerge as the
Myanmar’s pillars of economic reform;
telecommunication, real estate, and energy
have undergone the most liberalisation in
terms of new licences granted to foreigners
Channel News Asia (28 March 2012)
Representatives from the ASEAN
Secretariat, the United States, European
Union, Japan, India and Australia were in
Myanmar to observe and monitor the April
elections
Reuters (29 March 2012)
Following the postponement of by-
elections in three northern Kachin state,
the Kachin Independence Organization
(KIO) declared that it would not interrupt
Sunday’s elections and would assist in
guaranteeing security measures
The Irrawaddy (29 March 2012)
Prime Minister Najib Razak led a
delegation of 50 representatives from
Malaysian firms and four diplomats
to Naypyidaw to explore investment
opportunities in agriculture, timber,
construction, and telecommunications
The Irrawaddy (28 March 2012)
ASEAN, China, Malaysia
08The ASEAN-China Centre (ACC)
called on the Malaysian private sector
to use the services, activities, and
information provided by the centre
to promote Malaysia in China The ACC plans to provide ASEAN member
countries with shops, rent-free for the first
three years, in Yiwu, Zhejiang province in
order to promote ASEAN products in China
ACC wANtS MorE MAlAySiAN
iNvolvEMENt
The ACC is also following up on its recent
investment trips in Vietnam and Cambodia
with visits to other ASEAN member states
In cooperation with the tourism industry,
the ACC is promoting Malaysian tourism
through its website, mini-blog, and a
planned publication of travel guides for
Chinese tourist travelling to ASEAN
Bernama (26 March 2012)
what is theASEAN - ChiNA Centre?
ASEAN
07The 16th ASEAN Finance Ministers’
Meeting (AFMM) concluded with
a joint statement that agreed to
advance cooperative initiatives in
financial cooperation and capital
market integration. ASEAN finance ministers and central
bank governors agreed to operationalise
the $485.2 million ASEAN Infrastructure
Fund (AIF) and the Credit Guarantee and
Investment Facility (CGIF)
The ministers agreed to implement
the pilot program for the ASEAN Single
Window, the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff
CAMbodiA hoStEd thE 16th ASEAN
fiNANCE MiNiStErS’ MEEtiNg
Nomenclature (AHTN) and signed the
ASEAN Agreement on Customs
The working level of finance cooperation
continued with the Working Committee
on Financial Service Liberalisation, ASEAN
Capital Market Forum, and the ASEAN
Working Committee for Capital Market
Development, and the ASEAN Forum on
Taxation
The currency swap project under the
Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation
(CMIM) will be discussed in the ASEAN+3
Ministers’ Meeting in May 2012
AFMM Joint Statement (30 March 2012)
What : The objectives of the ACC include the promotion of Sino-ASEAN
cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education and culture. It also
serves as the sole provider of authoritative information between Chinese
and ASEAN public and private and institutions
When : ASEAN and Chinese leaders inaugurated the ACC in 2011 at the
14th ASEAN-China Summit in Bali
Where : The ASEAN-China Centre is headquartered in Beijing
DISCLAIMER: The news articles contained in this report are extracted and republished from various credible news sources. As such, CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) does not make any guarantee, representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness, reliability or fairness of any such information and opinion contained in this report. Should any information be doubtful, readers are advised to make their own independent evaluation of such information.
Thailand
09Thai SMEs must endure competitive
pressures and enhance their
performance ahead of the AEC’s
inauguration in 2015. Thailand’s fall in exports stems from
higher labour costs, which is a result of
from the government’s new minimum wage
policy
The textile industry is most likely to move
to Cambodia and Myanmar, while seafood
processors shift to Indonesia and Myanmar
where production costs are lower
Although the export industries in
electrical appliances, fruit and vegetables,
leather, beverages, and tobacco is
performing well, businesses and policy
makers must be responsive to growing
competition
MCOT, Thailand (27 March 2012)
AEC will forCE thAi SMES to
CoMpEtE MorE EffECtivEly
Editorial Team: Manissa van Geyzel, Han Fang Rong, Soley Ómarsdóttir, Chayut Setboonsarng, Ahmad Syahid
Consultant Editor: Tunku ‘Abidin Muhriz Designer: Iqbal Hakim
ASEAN, United Nations
10The Secretary- General of the United
Nations, Ban Ki-moon, praised
ASEAN’s contribution towards
Myanmar’s democratisation process. Ban Ki-moon also lauded ASEAN’s
