Asia Economy

A new investment law passed in October 2013 sent a clear message about the government’s pro-business reform ambitions, placing foreign and local investors on equal footing. New “tax stabilisation certificates” now offer an alternative to the previous investment agreements by freezing the relevant taxes for a period of up to 22.5 years.

Landlocked between two large markets, Mongolia has long used an activist trade policy to develop “third neighbours” and improve its terms of trade. The 1965 International Convention on Transit Trade of Landlocked States already grants it access to third markets, although quotas and transit tariffs are still subject to negotiations. Over the past decade, however, China...

Wedged between two of the world’s largest economies, Mongolia’s trade and investment policies are something of a balancing act. Reliant on transit neighbours for both trade and the infrastructure to support it, this small, open economy has integrated with the global one by developing relationships with “third neighbours” to improve its terms of trade. As surging mineral...

Mongolia is experiencing challenging times in the lead-up to the general elections in 2016. The country’s traditional balancing act between its giant neighbours has come under increasing pressure in recent months, while winning and maintaining international investor confidence continues to be a multi-faceted and essential task. However, expectations of rapid and...

Sarawak’s wealth of vast natural resources has historically steered the state’s economy towards the easily-monetised extractive industries such as oil and gas production, and timber harvesting, followed later by large agricultural plantations specialising primarily in palm oil production. While these sectors continue to dominate Sarawak’s...

Often standing in the shadows of mega-investments made by large international oil corporations, agriculture plantations and, more recently, mining companies, it is the multitude of Sarawak’s smaller, less heralded companies that account for the vast majority of business taking place in the state. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)...