Asia M&A and investment review
Currency strain forces Bank Indonesia to delay rate cuts
Indonesia’s resilience is being tested. While the country has successfully decoupled its inflation rate from the global energy spike through subsidies, it cannot decouple its currency from global risk sentiment.
India-South Korea summit unveils new agreements
South Korea has also formally joined the India led International Solar Alliance and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, and reciprocally India has agreed to join the Global Green Growth Institute.
India-South Korea summit puts shipbuilding, tech at the forefront
Bilateral merchandise trade between India and South Korea surpassed $25.1bn in 2024, following the implementation of a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2010.
Windfall tax delay exposes Indonesia’s challenge in capturing commodity gains
Indonesia recently announced that it had delayed the rollout of its windfall tax proposal on coal and nickel exports. The country noted that the complexity of balancing fiscal needs with industrial policy is behind the delay
Jurong Island’s output cut triggers $1.64 petrol spike in Australia
Singapore’s reclaimed oil refining region, the 32-square-kilometre Jurong Island, has become the primary driver of record-high petrol prices in Australia as Middle East supply shocks ripple through the Asia-Pacific energy corridor.
Singapore’s path towards nuclear energy use
Singapore is taking another step toward the possible deployment of nuclear power, with the National Environment Agency announcing plans to commission three studies focused on nuclear safety standards and environmental safeguards.
Malaysia emerges as regional energy and stock haven as Iran war drags on
Malaysia has emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s top-performing markets as the war in Iran drives energy prices higher and pushes global investors towards economies better positioned to weather volatility.
Climate group files complaint against OCBC over coal exposure in Indonesia
Under the complaint, OCBC is said to have failed to disclose its exposure to high-carbon assets fully. This put them in a position of potentially breaching disclosure rules set by the Singapore Exchange.
Asian stocks slide as oil prices surge past $100 per barrel
Equity markets across Asia fell sharply at the week’s opening on March 9, with indices in Japan and South Korea leading regional losses following a steep rise in global oil prices