Markets

Vietnam relies on Facebook to kick-start businesses

Quang Dang built a business with 200 staff selling lipstick and perfume. His secret to success? Once-banned Facebook.Like a growing number of Vietnamese, the 25-year-old turned to Facebook to put money in his pocket as getting his own physical shop proved out of reach. With just 223 dollars in savings, the high school educated entrepreneur got his start hawking cosmetics to friends on the social network.Vietnam has a complicated relationship with the social network.

8 November 2017
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Singapore central banker sees bubble in fintech hype

Be selective.That’s the message Monetary Authority of Singapore Managing Director Ravi Menon has for pundits and investors trying to navigate the wave of technology euphoria sweeping the financial services industry.While technological innovations such as blockchain and the area of big data analytics can result in powerful applications, people should be wary of some peer-to-peer lending platforms and the rapidly rising values of cryptocurrencies, Menon said in an interview with Bloomberg News

7 November 2017
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Indonesia Q3 growth expands slightly to 5.06 percent

Indonesia's economy grew more slowly than expected in the third quarter, dimming hopes that a high-profile drive to boost Southeast Asia's biggest economy will hit its GDP target this year.The economy expanded 5.06 percent in the July-September period from a year ago, a little below market expectations and off the government's target of 5.2 percent growth for 2017.President Joko Widodo came to power in 2014 on a pledge to boost annual growth to seven percent annually but his go

6 November 2017
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Indonesia to probe Subianto, Suhartos after 'Paradise Papers' leak

Indonesian authorities are investigating if former presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and the children of ex-dictator Suharto, named in documents leaked from a Bermuda law firm, are in breach of the country’s tax laws.The tax office will scrutinise financial disclosures made by Subianto in the past to check against information contained in the massive leak of confidential information from offshore law firm Appleby Global Group Services, Hestu Yoga Saksama, a spokesman for the Directorate

6 November 2017
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DBS's profit fell due to bad energy loans

DBS Group Holdings reported a surprise drop in third-quarter profit as Southeast Asia’s largest bank boosted bad-loan allowances more than sixfold in an effort to deal with its problem lending to the regional oil and gas services sector.The bank reported a 23 percent drop in net income to S$822 million (602 million dollars), worse than even the most pessimistic of analyst forecasts, but indicated it now hopes to draw a line under the bad-debt issues by recognising more of its energy services

6 November 2017
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UOB's bad loans take shine off profit

Troubles in the oil and gas services industry took the gloss off United Overseas Bank’s results, with bad loans increasing the most in more than a year.The Singaporean lender declared S$799 million (588 million dollars) of new nonperforming assets in the three months to September, overshadowing a better-than-expected profit figure that was driven by higher interest income and wealth-management fees.

3 November 2017
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Indonesia jails tax dodgers to meet budget goals

In the Dutch language, gijzeling means to take someone hostage. In Indonesia, that’s how authorities describe their strategy to deal with tax dodgers, throwing dozens of people in jail as part of a national crackdown.Eight months after the government closed an amnesty programme that gave Indonesians a chance to come clean on their tax affairs, it’s taking aggressive action to deal with those who still haven’t paid up.

2 November 2017
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AirAsia partners SATS for smoother ride in ASEAN

“We are very pleased to announce that two home-grown companies have partnered together to form a new Asean joint venture,” said Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AirAsia Group.In line with AirAsia’s goal to solidify its position as the leading low-cost carrier in the Southeast Asian region, the company had recently formalised a partnership with SATS Ltd (SATS) – the chief ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Singapore Changi Airport – which will allow both

2 November 2017
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Singapore Airlines to revamp A380 cabins, redefining luxury

Singapore Airlines, the first carrier to put a double bed in its cabins, is spending 850 million dollars to refit all its Airbus SE A380 jets to take airborne luxury up another notch.The airline on Thursday unveiled its first major overhaul across cabin classes of its Airbus SE A380s since 2007, when it became the first carrier to fly the double-decker aircraft.

2 November 2017
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