Asean
Cutting red tape to maintain trade competitiveness focus of regional forum
It has been estimated that the hidden costs of red tape add up to 15 per cent of the value of goods traded. How to boost intra-regional trade in Asia and the Pacific by streamlining trade procedures and regulations? Can useful lessons be drawn from existing national and regional initiatives to further facilitate intra-regional trade? And how regional cooperation can help to reduce the trade facilitation gap across countries? These are some of the questions that will be discussed during the first Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum . Jointly organized by ESCAP and ADB, the event will take place from 25 to 26 November 2009, at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok.
It has been estimated that the hidden costs of red tape add up to 15 per cent of the value of goods traded. How to boost intra-regional trade in Asia and the Pacific by streamlining trade procedures and regulations? Can useful lessons be drawn from existing national and regional initiatives to further facilitate intra-regional trade? And how regional cooperation can help to reduce the trade facilitation gap across countries? These are some of the questions that will be discussed during the first Asia-Pacific Trade Facilitation Forum . Jointly organized by ESCAP and ADB, the event will take place from 25 to 26 November 2009, at the UN Conference Centre in Bangkok.
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Cutting red tape to maintain trade competitiveness focus of regional forum
Asean
The Latest on Covid-19 in Southeast Asia
Thailand has largely avoided widespread community transmission of Covid-19, but the kingdom is not faring well on the economic front, with a projected contraction of 7.1 percent this year.

As a region, Southeast Asia has fared relatively well in keeping coronavirus cases low, with the notable exceptions of the Philippines and Indonesia.
(more…)Laos
China’s debt-trap diplomacy: Laos’ credit rating downgraded to CCC
Laos’ debt challenge is deeply concerning, with some media commentators suggesting the country is falling into a debt trap as a result of Chinese infrastructure investments connected to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

On 23 September, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Laos’ credit rating to CCC — the second downgrade in 2020, having dropped to B- in May.
(more…)Vietnam
Foreign capital still heads to Vietnam
As many as 798 projects added a combined over 5.11 billion USD to their investment capital, down 23 percent year-on-year in project number but up 6.8 percent in value.

Hanoi (VNA) – The total amount of foreign investment poured into Vietnam this year to September 20 reached 21.2 billion USD, equivalent to 81.8 percent of the same period last year, reported the Ministry of Planning and Investment.
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