Earlier this month, I attended OpenWebAsia – South East Asia (South EAsia/a>) in Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, a two-day tech and web industry event that attracted over 350 international attendees. The event shined a spotlight on a market that’s still largely overlooked: a whopping 600 million people live in South EastAsia, which boasts a rapidly growing web and mobile population.
What follows is a short summary of just a few presentations, panel discussions, and startup demos I witnessed at OpenWebAsia (those with a focus on Asia only). I will update this article with more material once it becomes available (find the agendas for day one and two here and here.....
Forget the BRICs... the term coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill coined to identify the potential of the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
MALAYSIA is keen to join the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a regional trade pact, but it needs the nod from the eight-member countries to do so, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
"It is up to the member countries to decide (on Malaysia's entry)," he said at a media briefing in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The eight countries are Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. They have held two meetings so far.
Malaysia's Cabinet had given the mandate to join the regional group two weeks ago.
"In the area of government procurement, we have said that we are prepared to discuss it further. Of course, there will be
Vietnam is estimated to have exported 12.05 million tons of coal worth $917 million in the first seven months of this year, down 14.3% from a year earlier in volume but up 29.2% on value, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said.
Vietnam’s apparel exports are estimated to have risen 17.4% from a year earlier to $5.87 billion between January and July, said the General Statistics Office (GSO).
Vietnam is estimated to have exported 4.966 million metric tons of crude oil valued at $3.004 billion in the first seven months of this year, down 44.8% from a year earlier in volume and down 18.9% in value.
Vietnam is estimated to have spent $2.58 billion on importing computers, electronics products and spare parts in the first seven months of this year, up 32.4% from a year earlier, the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO) said.
The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued Decision No 1815/QD-NHNN approving for changing the name of Vietnam Commercial Joint Stock Bank for Private Enterprises (VPBank) into Vietnam Thinh Vuong Commercial Joint Stock Bank.
State Bank of Vietnam said it would continue stabilising tools of interest rates, including the basic rate, refinancing rate, rediscount rate and interest rates of open market operations and foreign currency swap interest rate.
Electricity of Vietnam started talks with a group of banks for five-year term loan of about $300 million, according to two people familiar with the matter.
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