ASEAN moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system

Indonesian President Joko Widodo makes a speech during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on July 14, 2023. Murat Gok | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images A new regional cross-border payment system recently implemented by Southeast Asian nations could deepen financial integration among participants, bringing the ASEAN bloc … Read more

Asia could lose $500 billion GDP from pandemic school closures: Oxford

Elementary students sit inside dividers as preventive measure against Covid-19, as they attend physical classes at Longos Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2021 in Alaminos, Philippines. Ezra Acayan | Getty Images News | Getty Images School closures during the pandemic could erase over $500 billion of potential economic growth from a handful of Asian countries, … Read more

Central banks in Asia could soon diverge from the Federal Reserve: Nomura

A food stall in Gwangjang Market in Seoul as South Korea’s central bank is seen to be among the first in the region to cut its benchmark interest rate. Francois Lochon | Gamma-rapho | Getty Images Central banks in Asia could start cutting rates earlier than the Federal Reserve, economists at Nomura predicted. A dovish … Read more

Multi-millionaire entrepreneur to Indonesia minister

Jakarta governor-elect Anis Baswedan (R) and his deputy governor-elect Sandiaga Uno (L) hold hands during a press conference in Jakarta on April 19, 2017. Adek Berry | AFP | Getty Images When Sandiaga Uno was appointed Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy, it could not have come at a worse time. It was December … Read more

Australia and Indonesia signed a ‘win-win’ EV battery deal: Analyst

Mining giants Australia and Indonesia have signed a “win-win” EV battery deal, said Sabrin Chowdhury, head of commodities analysis at BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions. Indonesian President Joko Widodo met his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Tuesday during a three-day state visit to Australia. In addition to their commitment to regional peace and … Read more

Japan signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. — but it’s still losing the global EV race

Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno speaks at a news conference in Tokyo, on Oct. 13, 2022. Sony and Honda’s joint mobility venture unveiled a new EV prototype in January. Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan is gearing up to be a larger player in the EV space by signing a critical minerals … Read more

Grab cuts 1,000 jobs, its biggest round of layoffs since the pandemic

The headquarters of Grab Holdings Ltd., in Singapore. Grab Holdings Ltd., reported its latest earnings on Feb. 23, 2023. Bryan van der Beek | Bloomberg | Getty Images Singapore-based Grab Holdings is cutting over 1,000 jobs, its CEO said Tuesday, in a bid to manage costs and reorganize the company in a competitive landscape. In … Read more

TikTok to invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia, CEO says

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew speaks at the TikTok Southeast Asia Impact Forum in Jakarta on June 15, 2023. Bay Ismoyo | Afp | Getty Images Short video app TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, said on Thursday it would invest billions of dollars in Southeast Asia over the next few years, as it doubles down on the … Read more

ASEAN’s digital economy has great potential, but roadblocks remain

ASEAN has a high internet penetration rate of over 70%. Carlina Teteris | Moment | Getty Images Southeast Asia’s digital economy has plenty of growth potential, backed by strong fundamentals including over 460 million digital consumers, young and tech-savvy populations, as well as rising internet penetration. The digital economy across six countries within the Association … Read more

The G-20 summit kicks off Tuesday. Here’s what to expect.

World leaders are kicking off a meeting Tuesday on the holiday island of Bali, Indonesia as the global economy grapples with a looming recession, central banks’ jumbo rate hikes and historically high inflation. The annual meeting of leaders from the world’s major economies, known as the Group of 20 nations, is also taking place as … Read more