Consisting of both Islamic and conventional insurers, the Sultanate’s insurance sector has held steady in recent times, despite strong external pressures on Brunei Darussalam’s economy. Non-life remains a dynamic segment, with Islamic takaful products making up the bulk of these general insurance premiums. This pattern looks set to continue in the year ahead, too, with the next 12 months also...
Asia Financial Services
Commanding the second-highest GDP per capita of all ASEAN nations, at $40,979 in 2014, Brunei Darussalam remains one of the most advanced economies in the South-east Asian region. This is in large part due to the Sultanate’s well-developed energy sector; however, with oil and gas prices falling substantially from mid-2014, new efforts are being made to increase the efficiency of production and diversify the economy to ensure future stability and sustainability.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 185
Chapter | Financial Services from The Report: Philippines 2021
The Philippines’ financial services sector entered the Covid-19 pandemic on a solid footing, thanks to decades of regulatory reform to address the vulnerabilities exposed by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Strong capital buffers, high levels of provisioning and near-universal public health cover insulated the country from many of the impacts that other markets continue to wrestle with....
The Philippines is one of the world’s fastest-growing nations. Although economic activity slowed during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic period, stimulus measures, imminent public sector policies and a larger budget are expected to create jobs, generate growth and help kick-start the country’s recovery during 2021.
Papua New Guinea’s insurance market is closely indexed to the country’s economy, which prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020 had been projected to grow at an average of 3% per year through to 2022. However, the pandemic effectively shuttered PNG for several months, and reduced global demand for the commodities that drive its export earnings. The insurance market therefore faces an...
Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, Papua New Guinea’s banking sector was healthy. Liquidity increased substantially over recent decades, with the liquid asset ratio of commercial banks growing from 40% in 2003 to 49.6% in 2017. However, the pandemic has brought substantial macroeconomic challenges throughout the world, leaving no country unaffected. Although PNG has benefitted from its...
The economic downturn resulting from lower global commodity prices and the completion of the PNG LNG project means the future of Papua New Guinea must be navigated with care. The country possesses plentiful natural resources, which, given effective management, could provide new revenue to spur diversification, as well as sustainable and equitable growth in all provinces.
Indonesia’s insurance sector holds considerable...