Asia Economy

Considered to be the last frontier market in South-east Asia, Myanmar remains focused on creating the right set of conditions to attract and facilitate foreign investment to spur economic development. Following decades of military rule that maintained a socialist and centrally planned economic model, cutting off access to the world’s financial markets and main trading routes, the country’s...

This chapter provides helpful tips and information for first-time travellers, listings for ministries and other key contacts, recommendations for quality accommodation options around the country and other useful information.

Given Indonesia’s diversity, the country’s regional policy is crucial to sustainable progress. In the past, under Jakarta- and Java-based regimes, centralisation was seen as the best way forward. The post-Suharto era, however, has seen Indonesia move away from this concentration of power towards an approach that seeks to distribute authority and investment more evenly throughout the country’s...

Macroeconomic growth gained momentum in 2017 on the back of improved global commodities prices, increased foreign direct investment and robust domestic consumption. Although the country has not yet returned to the near-6% average annual GDP growth recorded in the five years leading up to 2012, its macroeconomic fundamentals remain robust, with an improved current account balance and a sweeping...

Consistent, robust economic growth, a 255m-strong population and a favourable position as South-east Asia’s largest economy have driven Indonesia to become an increasingly important actor in global trade. The country’s trade with the US and China has recorded double-digit growth in recent years, and it stands as the largest market for intra-ASEAN investment, with middle-class expansion and a...