Post-pandemic, small and medium enterprises in Southeast Asia have fully come around to the benefits of going digital. They are expected to invest US$130 billion (RM601.9 billion) in technology over the next three years. What is the state of digitalisation of SMEs in the region, especially local ones? What areas are they are looking to digitalise?

SMEs and digitalisation — big opportunities for tech providers 

Malaysia has so far committed to two climate targets. One is a nationally determined contribution target that is required of all countries that are signatories to the Paris Agreement, and the other is its net zero emissions target.

Is Malaysia achieving its climate targets?

Headline inflation in most economies around the world has been coming off its peak since central banks started raising interest rates. At present, there is a strong disinflationary trend underway, according to DBS Research.

Disinflationary trend underway

Artificial intelligence (AI), sustainability issues and deglobalisation are among the key factors that will result in 83 million job losses and transform nearly a quarter of all jobs (23%) globally over the next five years, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

AI, green transition to disrupt nearly 25% of all jobs by 2028

On May 6,  2023, tens of thousands of Berkshire Hathaway Inc shareholders from around the world lined up outside the CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, Nebraska, for its annual shareholder meeting.

Inside the minds of Warren Buffett & Charlie Munger

De-dollarisation has been making waves again of late, especially after China and Brazil, the world’s second-largest economy and Latin America’s biggest economy respectively, made a pact to trade in their respective currencies — the Chinese yuan and Brazillian real —  instead of using the US dollar as an intermediary.

Talk of de-dollarisation gaining momentum

Malaysia recorded a total of 10.07 million tourist arrivals and RM28.2 billion in tourist receipts in 2022 — the highest recorded since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world.

Malaysia gears up for tourism recovery with VMY2025

Given increasing concerns about inflation and the cloudy macroeconomic climate, consumers are changing their shopping habits and adopting cost-cutting behaviours. Here are some key observations on how consumers are responding to the cost-of-living crisis across various product categories such as groceries, fashion, luxury products and travel, based on the Malaysian results of PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Pulse survey.

Insights into consumer spending in leaner times

In a time of talent shortages, layoffs to control costs and economic pressures, recruiting has become increasingly challenging.

Rise of generative AI in recruitment signals new era of hiring

Margie Ong, CEO of sustainability consulting firm Thoughts In Gear, has compiled a 40-point checklist on what businesses can do to improve their sustainability reporting. Businesses can decide if they want to aim for a minimally compliant report or one that is universally understood.

A checklist for your sustainability report

Amid a potential global recession and rapidly rising cost of living, workers are now prioritising employment that is secure and financially stable. In its 2023 Workmonitor survey, which polled more than 35,000 working individuals aged 18 to 67 in 34 markets, international recruitment firm Ranstad found that 92% of respondents said job security was important to them, with 63% indicating they wouldn’t accept a job that lacked this assurance. More than half of them (52%) also said they were worried about the impact of economic uncertainty on their employment.

Workers need secure and financially stable jobs now more than ever

As economic activity in Asia-Pacific is expected to remain weak amid high inflation, fiscal stress and rising geopolitical risks, there is a need to rethink the public debt-development nexus to effectively pursue sustainable development under the current difficult economic conditions, according to a report titled “Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2023” by the United Nations.

Asia-Pacific’s public debt on the rise

Net-zero emissions has been a buzzword over the last couple of years. The path to achieving a net-zero emissions world by 2050 has opened up various business and investment opportunities, with more companies jumping on the bandwagon.

Financing the zero-emissions economy 

The year 2022 was a significant one for the global superyacht market. Despite the numbers recorded by the newbuild and brokerage markets, the general hope was for a return to pre-Covid-19 normality. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict introduced a new set of challenges and changes for superyachts, according to maritime data provider VesselsValue Ltd.

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