Liberalising the ASEAN-EU market for trade was a key objective of the sixth ASEAN-EU Business Summit held in Singapore on 3rd March. Foundational to this, however is ASEAN integration, which contemplates the free movement of goods, services, investments and skilled labour in order to unify businesses and consumers in the Southeast Asian region.

In 1990, energy joint venture firm Shell MDS issued the first corporate sukuk in Malaysia worth an estimated US$30-35 million at the time and since then, the country has not turned back. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member remains at the forefront of the global sukuk market till today.What is a sukuk?Sukuks represent certificates of equal value and act as an evidence of a Shariah-compliant investment that’s endorsed by the Shariah Advisory Council.

Cryptocurrencies have been the talk of the town, or rather the region in recent times, especially after bitcoin hit a peak of almost US$20,000 at the end of 2017. Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that use encryption techniques to secure transactions and to regulate the generation of units of the currency.

The negative sentiments stemming from the European Union’s (EU) ban on palm oil is exerting pressure on the crude palm oil (CPO) price. In January 2018, members of the European parliament passed votes to amend a draft law on renewable energy. Although the bill is subject to further debate by the European Council, its call-for-action towards the reduction of palm oil derived biofuels and bioliquids, is adversely affecting the price of CPO.

The Southeast Asian budget hotel market is currently worth between US$15 million to US$20 million, according to reporting by The Edge Markets in 2017. However, the real beneficiaries of this market could be the booking platforms who redirect tourists to budget hotels that offer the best deals. Most booking platforms employ a standardised model, aggregating available rooms in hotels within a certain city and forming a network of available rooms across multiple cities.

Singapore’s government is imposing new airport taxes starting from July 2018. The hike in taxes is drawing the ire of passengers who now have to pay in advance for the future development of Changi airport. According to a report by Changi Airport Group (CAG), the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) and Passenger Security Service Charge (PSSC) will be combined into the Passenger Service and Security Fee (PSSF) starting from 1 July, 2018.

Islam has had firm roots in Southeast Asian history – from the Arabian who traded at the ports of Melaka, the Sufi mystics who spread their influence in Aceh and now, through developments in Islamic finance and banking.What is Islamic finance?While not exclusive to Muslims, Islamic finance offers an alternative to its Western alternatives and is regarded as scrupulous by those who use it.

In financing long-term infrastructure projects, Singapore's government is looking at its first borrowings since the 1980s, according to analysis by The Business Times Singapore. These borrowings will be made by the country’s statutory boards and government-owned firms, finance minister Heng Swee Keat said during the recent budget announcement in February 2018.

South Korea’s second largest conglomerate by market capitalisation, SK Group has set its sights on expanding to the ever growing and dynamic market that is Southeast Asia. Why is Southeast Asia a lure?The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region has been the apple of every investor’s eye given its tremendous prospects and excellent economic growth rates.

Last September, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc launched the construction of Vingroup’s automobile manufacturing complex in the northern port city of Hai Phong. The automobile manufacturing complex will be the production centre of Vietnam’s first national car, Vinfast. Bloomberg reported in September 2017 that conglomerate Vingroup plans to invest up to US$3.5 billion to build a manufacturing and research and development complex.