Desfran Consulting

Vietnam is enjoying an uptick in its overall economic growth. The main contributing factor to the country’s economic growth is its strong real estate markets, especially as Vietnam is verging to become the next luxury real estate hotspot. Furthermore, the Vietnamese banks have been seeing positive improvements in their overall performance. All these are drawing in waves of foreign investors who have expressed their interest in Vietnam’s banking sector .

Thailand seeks to introduce new tax incentives in a bid to attract more foreign investments. The country looks to elevate its economic status in ASEAN amidst the threats of a slowing economy as a result of the current trade tensions between the US and China. One initiative is the Thailand 4.0 which aims to have significant development and transformation of investments, thus increasing its attractiveness to foreign investors looking to incorporate in Thailand .

The Thai baht has been one of the top-performing currencies amongst emerging countries in Asia. The baht surged to 8.3% versus the dollar last year, and has seen the best growth globally in 2019. Given the incessant strengthening of the currency and its strong economy, many investors view Thailand as an upcoming financial and FinTech safe haven amidst the global trade war .

The banking and finance industry of Singapore is amongst the most innovative sectors in the world-renowned for its espousal of cutting-edge financial technologies while sustaining robust legislative policies. Working towards the country-wide initiative of a Smart Nation, Singapore’s finance industry stands its ground as a resolute contender in the technological arena. In fact, it is one of the largest steps taken by the city-state as yet to liberalise the banking industry and lower entry barriers for non-conventional applicants. Here are the details about the digital bank licensing and its impact on various stakeholders in Singapore .

The Indonesian government continues to push for better tax incentives for foreign investors to attract capital inflows. The tax holiday scheme was expanded and revised to include the digital industry and the manufacturing industry in the list of eligible businesses. At the same time, the government has also lowered the minimum investment amount required to be eligible for a tax holiday. These incentives have helped to boost the total FDI in Indonesia .