Category: Business

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is stepping up efforts to help revive the once robust jewelry industry in Bulacan province. Through the DOST-Provincial Science Technology Office (PSTO)-Bulacan and Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC), a consultative meeting with the stakeholders and collaborators was held at the Bulacan State University Tuesday to discuss the agency’s proposed “Niche Center in the Region for R and D” (NICER) program. The NICER program capacitates higher educational institutes (HEIs) in the region to make significant improvements in regional research by integrating development needs into existing R and D (research and development) capabilities and resources. The DOST, through the NICER Program, provides institutional grants for HEIs to undertake quality research that will catalyze and promote regional development. DOST-PSTO Bulacan Director Angelita Q. Parungao said in an interview on Wednesday that the meeting was conducted to revive the jewelry industry through the inputs of various science and technology interventions. Parungao said one of the current priorities of the DOST is the development of creative industries in the country. She said jewelry is among the sunset industries in Bulacan that need to be revitalized to create more jobs and give the residents a better income. ‘The jewelry sector is historically one of the key industries in Meycauayan City, Bulacan but the industry is approaching its sunset if no intervention from the government is implemented,’ she said. Likewise, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is working hand in hand with local micro, small and medium enterprises in the crafting of jewelry industry plans and roadmaps. Mary Grace Sta. Ana Reyes, DTI-Bulacan information officer, said there is an urgent need for adopting new business models and concepts, including strengthening and reactivating industry associations’ visibility in the development process, which is seen as crucial for the business community to thrive in the fast-changing times. “The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the local economic landscape thus, it is urgent to promote innovation and sustainability as strategies for industry development and expansion,’ she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Indonesian state-owned aircraft manufacturer, Indonesian Aerospace also known as PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), has handed over one NC212i aircraft to Thailand at Hatyai international airport.

This aircraft coded AX-2131 is PT Dirgantara Indonesia’s first export in 2023.

The aircraft with an eight-member crew flew on a ferry flight with the route from Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung to Pekanbaru (Indonesia’s Riau province) and Hatyai (Thailand). The plane arrived at its final destination at the Nakhon Sawan Air Base on May 31.

The aircraft was handed over to Thailand’s Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation (DRRAA) for the purpose of weather modification.

The Indonesian Aerospace has produced various types of aircraft, such as the CN235 for civil or military transportation, Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and Coast Guard aircraft.

In total, it has delivered nearly 400 aircraft to 50 operators around the world.

Source: Lao News Agency

More than 25,206 vehicles were imported in the first four months of this year, according to Lao Vehicle Industry Association.

“Newly imported vehicles this year comprise 6,884 cars, 17,796 motorcycles and 526 vehicles. Last year record, Laos imported total 80,780 vehicles including 21,887 cars, 58,893 motorcycles and 1.408 vehicles,” said Mr. Phasatxay Philapandeth, President of the Lao Vehicle Industry Association at the annual meeting last week.

“The Lao Vehicle Industry Association is an organization that brings together business units that import vehicles, businesses related to all types of vehicles, spare parts and production equipment and produce other products to export and replace imports from abroad,” said Mr. Phasatxay Philapandeth.

Currently, the association has 34 member companies, including 25 brand distributors, six vehicles and heavy machinery parts distributors, three representative offices and data research companies. Over the past, Lao Vehicle Industry Association has collaborated with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare to create a curriculum to the national standards of automotive skills.

However, the association still has many challenges to strengthen the association, such as the higher consumption tax on spare parts and tax-free imports and some car agents have not joined the membership.

Source: Lao News Agency

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. is hoping for increased business engagements with India after the recent business roadshow in this city that showcased potential investments. “We want to increase our economic exchange with India. India is the fifth-largest economy in the world, and they have a big business sector which can be the potential investors in the province and the city of Iloilo,’ Defensor said in an interview Monday. He said the provincial government, through the Local Economic Development Investment and Promotions (LEDIP) Office, will be arranging for follow-up virtual meetings with companies that have signified interests to invest in Iloilo. As an offshoot of the India Business Forum held here on May 31, the governor added that one of the companies interested to invest is a business process outsourcing firm, particularly a voice-over-internet call center. In preparation for potential investors, Defensor said those who are into real estate development are encouraged to develop information technology and light industry parks along coastal areas. ‘The province has been selling that idea to developers of something like the business park of Iloilo City so that we can maximize the properties along the coast. We have good beaches,’ he said, adding that the development will add value to the coastal areas. Developers, the governor said, will be matched with landowners and land use plans of the municipalities since the land is owned by the private sector and not by the government. ‘We present to them the fundamentals but if they need land, they have to deal with the private sector,’ he said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) revealed plans to upgrade its capabilities for monitoring the transportation of livestock in and out of the province by developing a specialized application in partnership with Batangas State University (BSU). Krisel Ragas, Veterinarian IV at OPV, told the Philippine News Agency in an interview Monday that the proposal, called the Batangas Animal Movement Reporting Approach to Control Diseases (BARACO), will unify the processing of permits for moving poultry and cattle from cities and municipalities of the province. “Through BARACO, it will be formalized with just one process. There will also be transparency because what we see in the province will be also seen at the city/municipal level,’ Ragas said. The OPV presented the BARACO in the livestock hauler’s meeting held last week where it reminded that the business and occupation are related to the transportation of imported and exported animals and other products. “Here in this hauler’s forum, one of the primary things we discuss is animal welfare which is a big issue during animal transportation. We need to ensure that even though our animals are for food consumption, animal welfare is implemented,” Ragas said. “We will require farmers to register with BARACO to facilitate the processing of veterinary health certificates, and we will also enroll haulers so that it will be easier for them to obtain shipping permits,” she added. The hauler’s meeting was attended by more than 100 participants from Calabarzon, National Capital Region and Northern Luzon, who are getting products from the province. “The province of Batangas is one of the primary producers of livestock and poultry for the consumption of Calabarzon and Metro Manila, so we value that industry,” Ragas said. “We are very grateful for the active cooperation of our stakeholders in our programs, especially in the prevention of diseases.” Ragas also believes the proposal will be very helpful to the livestock industry of the province in combating diseases such as Avian influenza (AI) and African swine fever (ASF). “When ASF broke out in 2020, we noticed that there were many violations by haulers, so we looked into why the violations were occurring. The usual problem is their lack of information. Hence, another goal of BARACO is to disseminate information more easily to stakeholders,’ she said.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The formation of long-term cooperation frameworks such as Comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between Vietnam and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will provide the necessary foundations for the two sides to promote future cooperation, a Vietnamese official has said.

Through the CEPA, the UAE can become a bridge between Vietnam and other countries in the region, stated Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien during talks with visiting UAE Minister of State for International Trade Affairs Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Hanoi on June 5.

Appreciating the importance of CEPA negotiations in promoting bilateral relations between the two countries in terms of economy, trade and investment, the official said Vietnam always considers the UAE one of its leading economic partners in the Middle East. He suggested that the two sides actively exchange to speed up CEPA negotiations.

To further promote bilateral economic, trade and energy cooperation, he called on the two sides to work closely to successfully organise the 5th meeting of the Vietnam – UAE Intergovernmental Committee, scheduled for this October.

The two countries should continue to exchange and complete internal procedures in accordance with regulations to negotiate and sign the agreement as soon as possible, Dien said.

He encouraged UAE businesses to consider investing in a number of fields in Vietnam such as renewable and clean energy; chemical industry; supporting industries and material production; building industrial parks in a number of potential economic regions of the country.

On this occasion, Minister Dien congratulated the UAE on being the host of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) and applauded its proposal to host the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference next year.

For his part, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi said that the UAE Government always considers Vietnam an important partner in the Asia-Pacific region and wishes to strengthen cooperation with the country in all fields.

The official expressed his delight at the positive developments in economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE over the past time.

According to statistics of the UAE, the import-export turnover between the two nations reached 8.7 billion USD, accounting for 39% of the total trade exchange between the UAE and Southeast Asian countries.

The UAE is currently an important transit market for goods from countries exporting to the UAE to re-exported to many countries in the Middle East, as well as other continents such as Europe and Africa, thus, creating favourable conditions for Vietnam’s strong products such as farm produce, textiles and footwear to access many other markets, the official said.

He affirmed that he will continue to direct relevant units under the UAE Ministry of Economy to work closely with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam and relevant agencies to solve the issues mentioned by the Vietnamese side.

Regarding the CEPA, he said that the UAE is ready to coordinate with the Vietnamese side to promote the negotiation process for the early signing of the deal./.

Source: Vietnam News Agency