On the role of promoting environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards in the local capital market ecosystem What measures has SET taken to support listed companies’ compliance with ESG standards? PAKORN PEETATHAWATCHAI: Sustainability reporting and ESG compliance is a niche area of strength for Thailand’s capital market. Our ESG journey was kick-started by the 1997-98 Asian financial…
– Many emerging nations’ central banks are trialling or considering CBDCs – South-east Asia is at the forefront of digital banking and cryptocurrency – Cambodia has launched a CBDC, while several other states are undertaking trials – An East Asian common currency based on blockchain has been proposed The coronavirus pandemic gave rise to a massive acceleration in the spread of digital…
The economic fallout fromthe coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on business investment. However, while the volume of investments has plunged worldwide, there are hints that South-east Asia could see newmergers and acquisitions (M&As) in specific sectors. With large sections of the global economy shutting down in recent months and the medium-term outlook still uncertain,…
On how conventional banks are integrating digital solutions How would you assess the potential of digital banking to boost financial inclusion in developing economies? MICHEAL GORRIZ: In Africa, where Standard Chartered opened eight digital banks in 2018-19, the cost to serve is a crucial determining factor when offering banking services. A large part of the continent is underbanked primarily…
On the role of regional banks and improving capital flows What needs to be done on the regional regulatory level to liberalise cross-border capital flows in ASEAN and increase financial integration? TAN CHOON HIN: ASEAN is a fast-growing and dynamic region. Between 2016 and 2020 we predict that the region will grow at an average annual rate of 5.2%, which is twice the predicted rate of global economic…
Two of Thailand’s largest financial institutions have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake a merger following government efforts to encourage consolidation in the domestic banking industry. In late February Thanachart Bank and TMB Bank – currently the sixth- and seventh-largest domestic banks by assets, with BT1trn ($31.5bn) and BT892bn ($28.1bn) at the end of…
ASIA-BBTC 2018 will have a special focus on the latest technology options available for thermal processes and hydroprocessing solutions, it will review how residue upgrading capability will help refiners meet IMO 2020. ASIA-BBTC will be held in Bangkok on 10-11 October 2018 as part of ADW 2018 – Asia Downstream week – and will be directly preceded by ASIA-TECH 2018 - Asia Downstream Technology…
ASIA-TECH 2018 topics will also include how MARPOL VI, the developments of AV fleets, as well as new technologies, such as Industry 4.0, digitalisation and IoT will affect Asian refiners in the future. ASIA-TECH will be held in Bangkok on 9-10 October 2018 as part of ADW 2018 – Asia Downstream week – and will be directly followed by ASIA-BBTC 2018 - Asia Bottom of the Barrel Technology Conference…
The banking sector experienced mixed results in 2017. Although bank loans and asset quality benefitted from the country’s ongoing economic recovery – with operating profits rising as a result – high provisioning costs and preparations for the new accounting standards that take effect in 2019 saw net profits decline for many larger commercial banks. The sector is resilient, well capitalised and…
While the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was formally established in 2015, financial cooperation across the region remains somewhat fragmented. Goods and services move freely between countries, but banks, stock exchanges and securities companies tend to be limited to their home markets. Since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, ASEAN has remained focused on integrating regional financial markets.…