It is difficult, at this stage, to predict the impact of Covid-19 on the black economy in the region. Lockdowns and the near-total ban on air travel could well affect underground trade – but only if regulators up their street smarts.
ASEAN governments and companies are harnessing the power of smart technologies to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Given future challenges, small and local interventions will be vital.
Vietnam is encouraging young people to get married earlier and have more kids to deal with the consequences of a rapidly ageing population. However, without proper measures to upgrade the skills of the workforce and enhance its productivity, Vietnam will not be able to find a sustainable solution to the problem.
Recent high-profile controversies involving the Thai military have elicited calls for reform in the institution. The problem is that the concept means different things to different parties.
The formation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a lengthy process. Signing the RCEP in 2020 is not impossible although it can be undermined by the persistent spread of Covid-19.
Muslim groups, which were generally in favour of the government’s partial lockdown earlier on in the Covid-19 pandemic, are now taking up a less sanguine position.
The corporate sector in the Philippines is widely recognised for its anti-competitive behaviour. But the Covid-19 pandemic has brought out the best from the much-maligned sector.
The Covid-19 pandemic has knocked many countries sideways, but the crisis should not be wasted. As they emerge from lockdown, it is time for them to re-focus their energies and efforts on sustainable growth.
The Philippines has suspended the planned termination of the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. But the alliance is not out of the woods yet.
There are promising signs of the Myanmar population using cashless and contactless transfers for online purchases. Until a more mature financial network arrives, however, cash remains king.
Cash, Cards And Cigarettes: Is Covid-19 Helping or Hampering The Black Economy?
It is difficult, at this stage, to predict the impact of Covid-19 on the black economy in the region. Lockdowns and the near-total ban on air travel could well affect underground trade – but only if regulators up their street smarts.