Half of Japanese firms in Vietnam plan to boost operations

More than half of Japanese businesses in Vietnam and India have plans to expand their in-country operations, Kyodo News cited a recent survey.
Half of Japanese firms in Vietnam plan to boost operations ảnh 1A subsidiary of JFE Engineering of Japan has spent 900 million JPY (8.6 million USD) to acquire a 3.87 percent stake in the Binh Duong Water Environment JSC of Vietnam (Biwase)(Photo: mmbiztoday)
Hanoi (VNA)– More than half of Japanese businesses in Vietnam and India have plans toexpand their in-country operations, Kyodo News cited a recent survey.

In the online surveyconducted by Japanese staffing firm Pasona Group Inc. last December, 57 percentof Japanese companies in Vietnam and 55 percent in India said they will expandoperations in the host countries, compared with the average of 39 percent amongall 11 countries and territories polled.

Of the 818 companiespolled, 67 percent said they plan to keep the current level of their bases andoperations in the 11 economies.

Twenty percent saidthey plan to add and strengthen functions of their bases as regionalheadquarters, partly due to difficulties in making business trips to and fromhead offices in Japan amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey said.

According to thesurvey, 30 percent of Japanese companies in Thailand, 28 percent in Malaysiaand 22 percent in Hong Kong (China) said they have downsized posted staff orplan to do so within the next three months.

The growing trend ofremote work brought on by the pandemic coupled with high real estate prices hasalso encouraged firms to downscale offices, with at least 15 percent in HongKong, Singapore and Indonesia saying they have or plan to do so.

Meanwhile, 43 percentof respondents in Vietnam said they have expanded offices or plan to do so.

The economies coveredby the survey are the US, Canada, Hong Kong and  Taiwan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand,Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India./.
VNA

See more

Around 18,000 units of illegal items were seized during a raid on March 21. (Photo: HSA)

Singapore seizes illegal health products

Under Singapore's law, individuals found guilty of importing, manufacturing or supplying illegal health products face a two-year jail term, a 50,000 SGD fine, or both.

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI) Gan Kim Yong. (Photo: Bernama)

Johor–Singapore SEZ set to strengthen supply chains

Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong noted that escalating tensions between the US and China have led to a volley of tit-for-tat tariffs, effectively choking off trade between the world’s two largest economies. These developments will have significant implications on businesses in Singapore and Malaysia, many of which are embedded within the production and supply chains of both the US and China.

 Indonesia urges universities to uphold local identity

Indonesia urges universities to uphold local identity

The Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has encouraged universities to develop based on the characteristics and potential of each locality, instead of applying policies uniformly.

Illustrative image (Source: nationthailand.com)

Thailand aims to become ASEAN's clean energy hub

BoI Secretary-General Narit Therdsteerasukdi revealed that there are currently 28 electric vehicle production projects by 22 companies in Thailand, with a total investment of approximately 78 billion THB and a combined production capacity of over 880,000 units.

Illustrative image (Photo: Jakarta Post)

Indonesia discovers new gas fields, eases reliance on imported energy

Djoko Siswanto, head of SKK Migas, revealed that the two fields are located offshore in the Northwest of Java and are expected to commence operations by the end of this year. With a daily production capacity of 200 tonnes at the Jambi Merang field and 180 tonnes at the ONWJ field, these are set to enhance Indonesia's energy security and reduce its reliance on imported energy sources.

Mount Marapi erupted again on April 19 (Photo: Xinhua)

Mount Marapi in Indonesia blasts ash 1,000 metres into sky

The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reported that the eruption, from the nearly 3,900-metre-high volcano, produced seismic activity with a maximum amplitude of 30.3 millimetres and lasted 42 seconds.

The scene of the collapsed building in Bangkok, Thailand, caused by the earthquake in Myanmar. (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)

Thailand detains four suspects over collapsed skyscraper in earthquake

The 30-storey skyscraper, intended to be used as government agencies' offices, was the only major construction project to collapse in Bangkok due to the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28. Thai authorities reported that 47 people were killed at the construction site, while 47 others remain missing.

Malaysia bans single-use plastic bags at public sites (Photo: Bernama)

Malaysia bans single-use plastic bags at public sites

Malaysia will ban the use of single-use plastic bags in forest reserves, national and state parks, marine parks, and geological heritage sites and geosites, as part of efforts to curb environmental pollution.

Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (Photo: The Edge)

Malaysia develops space technology

Malaysia is ramping up efforts to develop its space technology, with a particular emphasis on the deployment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.