
Mobile shopping drives Chinese New Year e-commerce in South-east Asia: Report
ONLINE shopping spiked during the recent Chinese New Year holidays in South-east Asia, with more customers making the jump to in-app buys.

South-east Asian air travel boom expected on low-cost carrier growth: Boeing
SOUTH-EAST Asian air passenger traffic will grow by 5.7 per cent a year until 2039, the second-fastest pace of expansion in the world, one industry report has said.

Cambodia tipped to lead the pack in regional casino recovery: report
CASINOS in Cambodia could regain three-fifths of the sector's pre-pandemic revenue this year, led by the VIP segment, a recent report has suggested.
Monetary policy won't change in April, despite headline inflation uptick: Analysts
HEADLINE inflation returned to positive territory for the first time in nearly a year, as all-items consumer prices rose year on year in January.

Indonesian telcos must invest in networks amid market fight: report
STIFF competition is set to persist in the Indonesian telecom market, but mobile operators will likely adopt "tactical pricing strategies", one analyst said.

Singapore consumer prices rise in January for first time in nearly a year
HEADLINE inflation returned to positive territory in the new year, with all-items consumer prices in Singapore rising 0.2 per cent year on year as car costs and rentals went up.

New CEO has tough job of reviving StarHub's fortune
NIKHIL Eapen has inherited a company in a tough spot: Mainboard-listed telco StarHub last week reported a 15.2 per cent fall in full-year net profit, with structural disruption in the telecom industry worsened by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
StarHub Q4 gain up; consumer sector still tough
MAINBOARD-LISTED StarHub expects service revenue to be stable year on year in 2021, as the economy and tourism are unlikely to recover "until quite late in the year" from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
StarHub Q4 net profit up by 3.5% to S$36.1 million on Jobs Support Scheme payouts
MAINBOARD-LISTED StarHub's earnings rose by 3.5 per cent year on year in the last quarter, helped by government wage subsidies amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asean e-payments market could be worth US$1.5 trillion: report
ONLINE payment providers could nab a market of at least US$1.5 trillion in the region, a recent report on the financial technology (fintech) sector has estimated.

Business 'bubble' travellers to arrive from early March
THE first facility under Singapore's quarantine-free "business travel bubble" will welcome its guests from early March, after a stymied bid to bring in travellers by late January.

Business 'bubble' travellers to arrive in Singapore from March, after month's delay
THE first facility under Singapore's "business travel bubble" will welcome its first guests from early March, more than a month after the scheme was meant to go live.

S Pass tightening: job take-up by locals to differ between industries
MID-SKILLED locals will likely benefit from Singapore's lower reliance on foreign workers in manufacturing, watchers have agreed - even in the face of the perennial complaint that such jobs are not attractive to locals.
Business group touts 'single market' plan for South-east Asian e-commerce industry
INDUSTRY players have called for an "Asean single e-commerce market", which could reportedly boost revenue and financial inclusion for small businesses.

China trade key to regional recovery, but Asean economies still struggling: Moody's
CHINESE trade demand has jump-started recovery in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), although exports alone will not save South-east Asian economies.

S Pass cut is latest shake-up as planners woo locals for factory jobs
DEPUTY Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat made good on earlier plans to trim the foreign worker headcount in manufacturing - but fresh quota cuts alone are not enough to woo locals into industry roles, analysts noted.
Heng warns of lingering fiscal tightness, urges 'prudent spending' ahead of Budget
SINGAPORE'S fiscal situation will be "tight" for several years, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has said, a day before he is to deliver the Budget.
External climate, border reopening key to Thailand's economic recovery: reports
THAILAND'S economy shrank by 6.1 per cent in 2020, according to figures out on Monday - its worst showing since the Asian financial crisis in 1998.

Asian real estate outlook 'optimistic' on Covid-19 recovery in 2021: report
OCBC stock watchers have taken a "decidedly optimistic" outlook on Asian real estate investments, citing "undemanding valuations" and recovery from the Covid-19 downturn.

Wage subsidies helped trim Singapore firms' unit business costs in 2020: MTI report
OVERALL business costs have decreased on a unit basis in Singapore, as wage subsidies drove down the total cost of labour during the Covid-19 recession.

Business environment picks up for second straight quarter
SINGAPORE businesses are huffing and puffing on the long road to recovery from the economic trough of last year's two-month circuit breaker.

Myanmar economy expected to grow despite coup impact on FDI: analysts
MYANMAR'S recent military coup has likely slowed its economic recovery, but the main challenge will be foreign direct investment (FDI), watchers have said.

Tourism vouchers a catalyst for 'middleman' travel agents to evolve
THE SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRV) scheme may be what's needed to shake up travel agents' business models as middlemen.

Can Optus retool as an enterprise player?
A RECENT ratings downgrade for Singtel's Australian unit Optus highlighted the challenges the company faces in the consumer space.

Government will find ways to support all firms keen to upgrade
LOCAL companies harbouring ambitions for growth can continue to expect policy and funding support, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing indicated on Monday.
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