Thais will be able to grow any amount of marijuana for personal use from June 9 onwards, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday. Anutin, who is also deputy prime minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader, was speaking at the opening ceremony of a forum on the medical use of marijuana in Public Health Area 10. The meeting was held at Rajabhat Si Sa Ket University on Saturday. Anutin said his party’s campaign promise was to get households to be allowed to grow six marijuana plants for personal use, but he could do better by lifting this limit. However, he…
Author: Asia News Network
Since 2016, a total of 3,690 members of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (including 440 women) have been disciplined over incidences of corruption and other forms of misconduct, according to an official report unveiled last week. Of these, 2,019 people were expelled from the Party, 150 officials were demoted, and 742 members were banned from taking part in Party meetings and activities. In addition, 753 other Party members and nine Party cadres were given warnings instructing them not to repeat their transgressions, according to the report, which was presented at a nationwide state inspection meeting held in Oudomxay province on…
Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has said that the general elections will be held as scheduled on Feb. 14, 2024, quashing rumors that his government is trying to delay the polls and extend his term beyond the constitutional limit. “Let the people know that the stages and schedules for the simultaneous general elections and regional elections have been set,” the President told a Cabinet meeting on the 2024 simultaneous general and regional elections on Sunday. “These need to be made clear to avoid speculation [. . .] that the government is trying to delay elections or speculation on a presidential…
The Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) is planning to launch the Bangladesh’s first commodities exchange, or futures market, this year, aiming to reduce the price difference of commodities between what consumers pay and what producers get. Insiders say the opening of the commodity exchange may enable buyers and producers to buy and sell goods at competitive prices and reduce the scope of manipulation in the commodity market now alleged to have been rampant in domestic trades. “Our producers lament that they don’t get fair prices while consumers are paying far too much. Such disparities may dissipate through the commodities exchange,” said…
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance will support businesses when implementing the socio-economic recovery and development programme, finance minister Ho Duc Phoc said. Specific areas will include accessing markets, capital, labour and infrastructure as well as open administrative procedures. The ministry will accompany firms with supportive solutions so that the domestic business community can overcome difficulties to restore and develop production. Thereby they can contribute to the economic recovery and development. The minister was addressing a forum on “Fiscal policy to support the socio-economic recovery and development programme” that was held on April 7 in Hanoi by the Thoi bao Tai chinh…
After being low for many years, global key interest rates have started trending higher, goaded on by inflationary pressure. For banks, generally, this is a good thing as higher interest rates tend to translate into higher earnings. However, there is also the issue of a higher cost of funding for lenders as interest rates move north. In its latest Financial Stability Review, Malaysia’s central bank Bank Negara warned that banks are expected to face some tightening in their funding conditions this year. “Monetary policy normalisation in advanced economies could lead to outflows from emerging market economies, including Malaysia, and therefore,…
China’s top nuclear envoy criticised the US-led initiative to use UN sanctions as a tool to hold North Korea responsible for continuing banned ballistic missile launches, warning that it could be “adding fuel to the fire”. Liu Xiaoming, special representative of the Chinese government on Korean Peninsula affairs, voiced opposition in a series of talks with the US senior officials over the situation on the Korean Peninsula during a rare trip to Washington between April 4 to 7. Liu had meetings with US National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Assistant Secretary…
Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and other Malaysian public-listed companies (PLC) have expressed interest in producing credits for the planned Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM). Bursa Malaysia CEO Muhamad Umar Swift said that in addition to developing the carbon exchange, it was also seeking parties to produce the carbon credits. He said the VCM will help Malaysian companies to remain competitive in the country’s exporting markets. In addition, it will provide a mechanism for Malaysian companies to offset their carbon obligations in export countries, Muhamad Umar said this during a session on “Corporate Sustainability & Environment, Social and…
Thailand’s sovereign credit has been rated at Baa1, or equivalent to BBB+, by Moody’s Investors Service, which maintained the country’s outlook at stable, Patricia Mongkhonvanit, director-general of the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), said on April 8. According to the Moody’s report, the affirmation of the Baa1 ratings reflects Moody’s expectations that Thailand will continue to display economic resiliency to future shocks, underpinned by its large and diverse economy and strong macroeconomic policy effectiveness. “The rating also takes into account material downward pressure on the economy’s growth potential from rapid population ageing and likely long-term economic scarring from the pandemic,”…
Spurred by growing domestic demand for electric vehicles (EV), manufacturers in Japan and China are set to seek government subsidies to cut EV prices in Thailand, according to a finance ministry source. Toyota is expected to join the Excise Department’s subsidy programme later this month, the source said. “It will be the first Japanese car manufacturer to take part. This move is expected to prompt other carmakers from Japan and Europe to join so that they can avoid missing out on business opportunities,” the source added. Chinese automakers Geely, Neta and Changan have also expressed interest in the subsidy programme…