S'pore second-biggest investor in Myanmar
YANGON • Singapore has become the second-largest investor in Myanmar with a total reaching US$12.02 billion (S$16.5 billion) this financial year, ending January, said the country's ambassador to Myanmar Robert Chua.
China's investment amounted to US$15.44 billion, according to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration.
"Diplomatic relations between Myanmar and Singapore go back 50 years," said Mr Chua.
ELEVEN MEDIA
Thai Drinks thirsty for fresh AEC markets
BANGKOK • Thai Drinks, a subsidiary of Singapore-listed Thai Beverage, aims to cash in on the Asean Economic Community (AEC) through the expansion of five flagship products. It plans to double the size of its beverage business by 2020, from US$700 million (S$960 million) in sales last year. Besides Myanmar, Thai Drinks plans to head into other high-potential markets like Cambodia, Laos and Indonesia.
Laos wants rail project to make tracks
VIENTIANE • The Laotian government is pushing for the development of a rail network that will connect the capital Vientiane to Boten, a Lao-Chinese border checkpoint, over a distance of 417km, in the hope that this will turn the landlocked country into a land-linked nation and transit hub for bigger neighbouring economies.
Among Laos' planned four rail projects, the Vientiane-Boten line will form part of the Kunming-Singapore rail network over a distance of 3,000km. The rail line will link China's Kunming all the way down to Singapore, passing through Laos, Thailand and Malaysia.
VIENTIANE TIMES
Champassak gears up for tourism push
VIENTIANE • The Laotian authorities want more tourists in Champassak province (left).
Hoping to benefit from regional integration, the local authorities are making cooperation with neighbouring countries a priority, ensuring it has enough hotels and tour companies to meet the needs of a growing number of tourists.
More than 2.5 million people visited the province from 2011-2015, said Ms Mala Chanthalam, a tourism official in Champassak.
"Our target for 2020 is for 4.6 million people to visit Champassak."
VIENTIANE TIMES
