ASEAN central bankers are setting up direct settlement systems that use local currencies, in a bid to reduce transaction costs and exposures to global volatility. The central banks of Thailand, Indone…
Malaysia, Indonesia head to Brussels to protest palm oil biofuel curbs
Officials of top palm oil producers Malaysia and Indonesia will visit Brussels next week to voice their objection to the European Union’s delegated act that restricts the use of the edible oil in biof…
Singapore aims to lead the way in Industry 4.0 efforts in Asean
In order for the Asean region to unlock its full potential through an Industry 4.0 transformation, collaboration among Asean member states will be key, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry …
Technology and economic transformation: Is Sri Lanka prepared to ride the 4IR wave?
Sri Lanka has a relatively high literacy rate of 92 per cent among its population. However, its computer literacy rate is a meagre 27.5 percent. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Production Report …
ANRPC reports drop in world natural rubber production
According to the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), world production of natural rubber (NR) has experienced a fall of 10.1%, amounting to 1.080 million metric tons in January 2…
Asean Today – Mar 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4K43P3oSKk…
Vietnamese researchers repurpose plastic waste with world’s first PET aerogel
Despite being a fairly new material with a little over 100 years of history, plastic has permeated every part of modern life. But plastic’s very strengths – convenience, cost and durability – have pro…
Unexpected bounce in China’s factory activity, but Asia broadly weak
Factory activity in China showed a slight, surprising recovery last month, in a sign that stimulus injected into Asia’s growth engine may be yielding results, but worries of a global slowdown persiste…
Sri Lanka on track to connect 377MW of solar power by 2020
Sri Lanka has so far built 177 MegaWatts (MW) of rooftop solar and a further 300MW of larger plants are under development or contracts have been awarded, ministers said as part of a plan to build 1,00…
Nepal’s honey and beekeeping industry is about more than profit
KATHMANDU (The Kathmandu Post/ANN) – Honey is in Bal Krishna Upadhyay’s lifeblood. Upadhyay’s family has been keeping Asian honey bees for generations. But last year was a bleak winter. His normally p…