These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Budget 2021: S'pore to impose GST on low-value goods bought online imported by air or post
Low-value goods bought online and imported by air or post will be subject to the goods and services tax (GST) from Jan 1, 2023. GST will also be extended to imported non-digital services for consumers, such as those involving live interactions with overseas providers of fitness training, counselling and tele-medicine. This will help to level the playing field for local businesses to compete effectively, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Tuesday (Feb 16). Low-value goods that are worth $400 or less and imported via air or post are currently not subject to GST to facilitate clearance at the border, but the tax is paid on such goods bought here. All goods imported via land or sea are already taxed, regardless of value. DPM Heng said: "One aspect of a fair and resilient tax system is ensuring a level playing field for our local businesses vis-a-vis their overseas counterparts. This is especially relevant, as e-commerce for sales of goods and services is growing." He noted that other jurisdictions such as Australia, New Zealand and the European Union have already implemented or announced plans to put in place the equivalent of GST on such goods. "Overseas suppliers of goods and services will be subject to the same GST treatment as local suppliers," he added. This new taxation will be effected through the Overseas Vendor Registration regime, which requires overseas suppliers and electronic marketplace operators that make significant sales of digital services to local consumers to register for GST. These registered suppliers and operators will then charge GST on their sales of low-value goods that are delivered over air or post to local consumers. Shoppers will have to pay the GST when they buy from these overseas suppliers, just as they will be charged when they buy such items from local businesses. Meanwhile, local GST-registered businesses here will have to self-account for GST when they import such goods as well and pay the tax. GST was already extended to cover all imported digital services in Budget 2018 and kicked off from Jan 1 last year. These include video and music streaming services, apps, software and online subscription fees. – The Straits Times
'Protocol drawn up to ensure no waste of virus vaccine'
The government has formulated a protocol that will be implemented at all 600 vaccination centres nationwide to ensure that there is no wastage of the Covid-19 vaccine. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in explaining the protocol, said excess doses of the Covid-19 vaccine would be administered to security personnel and volunteers at the vaccination centres in the event that people who registered for the vaccine did not turn up. "This protocol would be implemented to avoid wastage of the Covid-19 vaccine," Khairy said at a press conference after the launch of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Handbook, which was conducted virtually, here yesterday. The handbook was launched by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Also present was Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. It was reported that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, of which the first shipment is scheduled to arrive on Sunday, had a very short life span once it was removed from cold storage. Dr Adham said a dry run on the vaccine delivery in a remote area was conducted on Jan 29 to ensure that the vaccine would be safe when it arrived at the destination and used to vaccinate the people. "Low dead-volume syringes will also be used," he said. "This will ensure that the right dose of the vaccine is delivered to the people, apart from preventing any spillage (wastage)." On a related matter, Khairy, who is also the coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, said the government was in the process of setting up a scheme to handle serious adverse effects resulting from the vaccination programme. A special cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister on Monday, Khairy said, had agreed for the Health Ministry to prepare the special vaccine injury scheme. "The scheme will be announced in due course," he said when asked if the government had any plans or agreements with companies producing the Covid-19 vaccine to cover vaccine liabilities, similar to the move adopted in Singapore. – New Straits Times
PM denies gambling ties
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha denied an allegation made during a no-confidence debate that he had received benefits related to illegal gambling dens. The issue was raised by Pol Gen Sereepisuth Temeeyaves, leader of the opposition Seri Ruam Thai Party, at the start of the four-day debate on Tuesday. Gen Prayut rebutted the claim, saying the information was taken from the media and solid evidence and witnesses were still required to back the claim. "You have to find evidence and witnesses and take the case to court to prove the veracity of your allegation," Gen Prayut told parliament. In his censure debate opening address, Sompong Amornvivat, leader of the opposition, said the opposition would expose irregularities in the country's administration by the government and "unmask" Gen Prayut, whose alleged monopoly of power has damaged the country. "The people want a prime minister who cares more about them more than he does about retaining his power," Mr Sompong said. On the issue of illegal gambling dens, which are partly to blame for the second wave of Covid-19, Gen Prayut said he has never supported any kind of gambling. He has instructed the Royal Thai Police to step up crackdowns on gambling dens, particularly during the pandemic. Police officers will be held responsible if they fail to take action against gambling dens in their jurisdictions, Gen Prayut said. Several gambling dens were raided recently and up to 51 police officers holding the ranks of deputy commanders and commanders have been transferred, pending investigations, Gen Prayut said, before adding that if they are found guilty, they will receive severe punishment. "I believe past and present governments try to do their best. But nowadays, gambling and related offences are becoming more complicated. I now wonder why only gamblers are arrested. So, I laid down a policy for officials to arrest investors and those who are behind these gambling networks. "I have no vested interests. Don't accuse me of receiving benefits. Sue me and prove if that is true. If it's not true, I'll also fight back. Don't defame me," the prime minister said. "To those who accused me of receiving benefits, I insist that I never received a single baht. I don't want any involvement with dirty money. I will receive only my lawful benefits,'' the prime minister said. He said he set up the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau to keep up with changing circumstances, and insisted that the government has taken tough action against gambling that takes place both online and offline. Between 2018 and 2020, between 74,000 and 98,000 suspects were arrested for violating the Gambling Act and many more arrests are expected to be made if there is evidence implicating more suspects, Gen Prayut said, adding that it is important for police to obtain solid evidence before taking action against any suspects. Currently, there are several cases involving gambling dens in Rayong, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Trat, Samut Prakan, Bangkok, in Nonthaburi's Bang Bua Thong district, a cockfighting ring in Sukhothai's Thung Saliam district, as well as online gambling networks, Gen Prayut said. The prime minister urged the public to give information on gambling dens directly to him so action will be taken against them. Gen Prayut went on to say that he has set up a committee to investigate offences and illegal gambling networks that led to the spread of Covid-19. The committee reports directly to the prime minister. – Bangkok Post
Binay seeks Senate inquiry on ‘alarming’ rise in adolescent pregnancies
Senator Nancy Binay has filed a resolution urging the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the “alarming” increase in the number of adolescent pregnancies in the country. In filing Senate Resolution No. 650, Binay cited the Civil Registry Statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) which revealed two registered births from girls as young as 10 years old from Metro Manila and Calabarzon, both of which have a relatively high population. The resolution was received by the Senate’s Office of the Secretary on February 15. In calling for a Senate inquiry, Binay also noted the Commission on Population’s report that 2,411 girls aged 10 to 14 gave birth in 2019, revealing an average of seven births every day with Calabarzon, Metro Manila, and Central Luzon registering the highest incidents. “The problem of teenage pregnancy still remains as a national emergency as this is the 9th year since 2011 that the rate has increased, noting that one out of every 10 pregnancies in the Philippines has been among teenagers,” she said. Citing the United Nations Population Fund, Binay also noted that a young girl’s life can radically change when she becomes pregnant. “Her education may end and her job prospects diminish. She becomes more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, and her health often suffers,” said Binay, adding that complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls. “Tens of thousands of adolescents die annually of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, these are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls, aged 15-19, globally,” she also said. Binay said that “based on the foregoing, it is imperative to conduct a complete assessment and review of all government policies and programs regarding the prevention of adolescent pregnancy in the country.” Earlier this month, the Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives also sought an investigation into what it called an “alarming” rise in teenage pregnancies among girls aged 15 and below. In 2019, Senator Leila de Lima also urged the Senate to investigate the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the county. – INQUIRER.net
HCM City airport gives COVID tests to passengers returning from the north
HCM City authorities are testing arrivals from three major airports in the north (Nội Bài in Hà Nội, Vân Đồn in Quảng Ninh Province and Cát Bi in the northern port city of Hải Phòng) as tens of thousands of passengers are returning after the Lunar New Year holiday. According to the HCM City Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of February 14, some 200 samples had been taken each day for testing on a random basis at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport in HCM City. The move is part of the city’s effort to monitor community transmission cases. Four hospitals, including Nguyễn Tri Phương, Ear Nose and Throat, Hùng Vương, and Traditional Medicine, have participated in the screening. Since February 11, the city has also tested people considered at high-risk of contracting the virus at bus stations, wet markets and some rental housing units in order to monitor the risk in the community. In addition, the HCM City CDC has been conducting testing at hospitals across districts since September 15. To ensure safety for passengers at Tân Sơn Nhất, airport staff must be tested one day before their working shifts. More than 1,600 families of employees of the Vietnam Airport Ground Services Company Limited (VIAGS) have also been asked to test, as of February 10. The main cluster of cases at the airport was related to VIAGS. According to the HCM City-based Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the virus strain (A.23.1) associated with the Tân Sơn Nhất airport outbreak was first found in the African country of Rwanda in late October. This is the first time that the Rwanda variant has appeared in Việt Nam and Southeast Asia. It is not the highly contagious UK variant (B.1.1.7) or the variant detected in South Africa. The Rwanda variant has been discovered in a few other countries such as the US, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, and several countries in Europe, including the UK and Denmark. However, no “abnormal developments” have been reported in those countries. Based on an analysis, experts believe the Rwanda variant is likely to have infected the staff at Tân Sơn Nhất airport through cargo flights. Dr. Phan Trọng Lân, director of the HCM City Pasteur Institute, said: “The most likely hypothesis is that the strain originated from cargo flights from the United Arab Emirates.” Cargo crew members are not subject to quarantine and testing because they are not allowed to get off the plane, he added. During this period, flights from the United Arab Emirates arriving at Tân Sơn Nhất airport were possibly the source of infection for the loading staff on the ground, who had contact with aircraft crew members. Lân noted, however, that the risk of infection from outside the airport cannot be ruled out, but it is unlikely to be the source. – Viet Nam News
Cambodia’s COVID-19 inoculation programme chugs along with just 7,000 given first jab
After six days of Cambodia’s much anticipated COVID-19 inoculation programme, which kicked off on 10 February, 2021, with only about 7,000 people receiving their first shot of what could be a lifesaving game changing response to the deadly virus. The Ministry of Health said late last night that to date, as of Tuesday that only 2,122 civilians, including ranking officials and 4,969 from the security forces, including the armed forces, including the military police as well as National Police personnel. Have been inoculated. This represents a miniscule in the number of people inoculated, both armed forces and front liners, government officials and others. A total of 300,000 of the SINOPHARM Vaccines had been reserved for the front liners and government official and others categorised as front-line staff, including journalists and now sportsmen and another 300,000 was set aside for the armed forced. The inoculations were conducted on a voluntary basis at Calmette Hospital, Ang Duong Hospital, Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital and National Paediatric Hospital while the armed forces are receiving their first shots at the Ket Mealea Hospital. Ministry of Defence officials said that plans are being formalised to inoculate soldiers at their various units with priority being given to those already in the front line such as those in the border areas with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and others directly involved with migrant workers returning from abroad as well as other points of entry into the country legal and otherwise. However, the Health Ministry has yet to reveal plans on how or when it plans to inoculate hundreds if not thousands of other front liners in the danger zones of Oddar Manchey, Pailin, Battambang and Benteay Meanchey as daily, hundreds of Cambodians are crossing the border into Cambodia from Thailand where there is a real fear of the virulent British strain of the virus. The Ministry could also not shed any light as to when the remaining 400,000 shots of the vaccine will be delivered and what portion of the current 600,000 batch will be reserved for the second shot. A total of 556 people who sought the vaccinations against COVID-19 were declined for various reasons, largely due to pre-existing health conditions, had already contracted the virus before or had other symptoms. There have been no reports of any adverse reactions to the vaccinations yet. – Khmer Times
Aung San Suu Kyi’s hearing starts a day early, without her lawyer’s knowledge
The hearing in the cases against Myanmar’s civilian leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint, who were ousted in a military coup two weeks ago, began on Tuesday afternoon via video link without the knowledge of a lawyer representing Suu Kyi. A judge had told their lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, on Monday that the hearing had been delayed until Wednesday. He has been barred from seeing either leader since their arrests on February 1, meaning Suu Kyi has been unable to sign documents granting him power of attorney. Suu Kyi was hit with a new charge on Tuesday under the Natural Disaster Management Law for breaching regulations aimed at curbing Covid-19 while campaigning in last year’s election – the same charge filed against president Win Myint two weeks ago. She has already been accused of importing walkie-talkies in violation of the Export and Import Law, meaning she now faces two charges that each carry three-year sentences. Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party won a landslide victory in November, securing over 80% of seats across both houses of parliament. The military has justified its coup by claiming, without evidence, to have found over 10 million cases of potential voter fraud. Judge Nan Aye Mya Thiri told reporters outside the Zabuthiri Township Court in Naypyitaw that police decided to bring the case to court today even though the two were remanded until Wednesday. Both defendants seemed to be in good health during the video conference, she added. The police submitted the names of nine witnesses for each of the three charges against the two leaders, she said. That means a total of up to 27 witnesses, although it’s possible the same person may be called for more than one charge. The court will make its rulings “independently,” Nan Aye Mya Thiri said. Khin Maung Zaw said the judge told him Suu Kyi had given the NLD’s central executive committee permission to assign her a lawyer while Win Myint, who worked as a lawyer before he became president, said he would represent himself. The NLD had already assigned him to represent Suu Kyi, he added, and he has been trying to meet with her so that she could sign documents granting him power of attorney. He said he would also seek help from other legal experts in building Suu Kyi’s defense. The next hearing for both Suu Kyi and Win Myint is scheduled for March 1. Around the same time as the hearing, the self-declared State Administrative Council held a press conference in Naypyitaw, its first since coup leader Min Aung Hlaing seized power. Many local journalists said they were boycotting the press conference because they did not recognise Min Aung Hlaing’s regime. The state-owned MRTV broadcast it live. The press conference was led by military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, who previously worked under the Tatmadaw’s True News Information Team but has now been appointed deputy information minister by Min Aung Hlaing. Appearing before the press in civilian clothes for the first time, he said Suu Kyi and Win Myint are being kept in “safe places” and are in good health. The new ruling council would not do anything that is not in line with existing laws, he added. In a separate case, the military has been investigating the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, a charity founded by Suu Kyi dedicated to her mother. The foundation’s two executive members are being interrogated by the Bureau of Special Investigation, according to sources close to the foundation. One source speculated that the military is probing Suu Kyi’s foundation because it wants to establish grounds to hit Suu Kyi with more serious charges. – Myanmar NOW
Minister forecasts economy to rebound to 4.5-5.5 percent in 2021
Indonesia's economy is projected to rebound to a range of 4.5 - 5.5 percent in 2021, propped up by increased household consumption, investment, state expenditure, and exports, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto stated. "The projection is in line with the outlook from some international institutions, such as the World Bank, OECD, ADB, and IMF," Hartarto noted in a statement here on Wednesday. Some measures adopted to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic comprise the disbursement of Rp695.2 trillion of funding for the National Economic Recovery Program (PEN) in 2020. Of the total allocation, budget realization has reached Rp579.8 trillion, or 83.4 percent. The budget was disbursed for the health sector, social protection, support for micro-, small- and medium-scale enterprises, business incentive, transfer to regional administrations, ministries/institutions, and corporate funding. The moves have helped the country's economic recovery, with growth having contracted 2.07 percent. Despite the economic contraction, Indonesia's economy has shown significant recovery, from minus 5.32 percent in the second quarter to minus 3.49 percent in the third quarter and minus 2.19 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. For 2021, the government has disbursed Rp688.33 trillion of funding for the PEN program, raised from its initial budget plan at Rp627.9 trillion. Implementation of the micro-scale Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM) to curb coronavirus transmission has also supported the economic growth projection. "We laud the TNI (the Indonesian Military) that dispatched 30,219 personnel to support the implementation of micro PPKM in seven priority regions on February 9-22, 2021," he stated. The TNI has also prepared 117 military hospitals across the country to handle the COVID-19 pandemic and help people in need of medical treatments. – AntaraNews.Com