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In recent years, both India and China have announced plans to curb their ever-increasing carbon emissions. With Asia’s two biggest superpowers now facing renewed pressure to alter how they deal with pollution, it’s now in investors’ interest to look at their respective energy efficient transport sectors.

The World Bank has forecast a greater GDP growth rate in South Asia for the next two years, provided that several countries in the region, particularly India, are able to maintain major structural reform. East Asia, meanwhile, is predicted to experience a slump in GDP growth.

Australian commodity prices have recently fallen to a five-year low, largely due to the unpredictability of China’s economic growth. With various industries continuing to be affected by dwindling demand from China, fears have abounded that Australia’s entire economy may suffer in the future.

Salaries across the Asia-Pacific are due to increase on average by 7 percent next year, according to a report released yesterday. When inflation is taken into account, the findings show that China will have the steepest salary hike for 2015, which may provide an insight into investor trends for the coming year.

DELHI – Nachdem Zypern letzten November als “Notified Jurisdiction” (informiertes Hoheitsgebiet) eingestuft wurde und damit das Doppelbesteuerungsabkommen (DBA) außer Kraft gesetzt wurde, könnte Indien diese Entscheidung bald ändern und das DBA mit Zypern und die Quellensteuer von 10 Prozent wieder einsetzten. Grund hierfür sind die kürzlichen Fortschritte im Steuerinformationsaustausch.

South Korea is set to invest $US 56.86 million into developing Myanmar’s infrastructure, according to the Southeast Asian nation’s state-run media. Money is expected to be invested in the construction of new model villages, schools, power stations, and research and technology centers in a deal which may improve Myanmar’s future investment appeal.

This week, Malaysia and Indonesia became embroiled in a tax race-to-the-bottom on their international exports of crude palm oil (CPO). In an effort to maintain steady sales, both Southeast Asian nations are now lowering the tax on their CPO exports, and the rest of the world look set to take advantage.

DELHI – Indiens neuer Minister für Telekommunikation, Recht und Informatik, Ravi Shankar Prasad, verspricht die Förderung eines stabilen und transparenten Wirtschaftsklima für ausländische Investoren und deutet damit eine baldige Abschaffung des kontroversen, rückwirkenden Steuersystems an. Kurz nach seiner Amtseinführung vergangene Woche, gab Prasad folgende Erklärung ab: „Im Großen und Ganzen muss die Einführung rückwirkender Bestimmungen […]

In this issue of Asia Briefing, we forecast the effects of ASEAN Economic Community on foreign investment into the region in the lead up to 2015. Following this, we highlight what is happening in some of ASEAN’s hottest industries for investment, including electronics, information and communications technology, textiles and medical devices.

India and China have signed agreements aimed at strengthening their respective economies, with $US 20 billion to be invested into India’s infrastructure over the next five years. However, the amount is less than what was expected, and talks were overshadowed by a recent border dispute between the two Asian superpowers.