ASEAN Express News: April 14, 2026

Stay updated on the ASEAN economic pulse with Central News Agency's 'Southeast Asia Economic Information Network,' featuring daily financial headlines from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and more. Whether it's new government policies, industry trends, or investment opportunities, gain critical insights to seize market advantages.

**Vietnam:** Ministry of Industry and Trade employs multiple strategies to cope with heatwaves, ensuring annual power supply. Amidst power supply pressures from extreme weather and a heatwave in northern Vietnam in late March, the Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized its proactive development of power generation and transmission solutions to secure the nation's electricity supply for the year. To avert power shortages, the Ministry is coordinating efforts, including maintaining high water levels for hydropower to meet peak dry season demand, increasing the regasification capacity for natural gas, and commissioning new coal-fired power plants which are expected to add 1200 MW to the national grid.

**Laos:** Addressing soaring fuel prices, the government advocates for electric vehicle adoption. Electricite du Laos, in collaboration with 27 state-owned and private enterprises, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on EV adoption in Vientiane, marking Laos' move towards clean energy and mitigating the impact of rising fuel costs on citizens. Despite challenges in EV adoption, particularly concerning battery performance (current electric trucks have a range of 100-150 km per charge, significantly less than the 500-600 km for fuel-powered trucks), Electricite du Laos plans to expand the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind to support transportation power demands.

**Singapore:** First-quarter economic growth at 4.6%, below market expectations. Preliminary data from Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry shows that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026 grew by 4.6% year-on-year, falling short of the 5.9% forecast by Reuters-polled economists. Seasonally adjusted, Singapore's Q1 GDP contracted by 0.3% from the fourth quarter of 2025.

**Philippines:** Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index declines for the third consecutive year. According to Kearney's 2026 FDI Confidence Index, which ranks emerging markets based on their potential to attract foreign investment over the next three years, the Philippines slipped two places to 18th among 25 markets, falling behind its ASEAN neighbors. This marks the third consecutive year of decline for the Philippines in this index, having ranked 16th in 2025, 13th in 2024, and 12th in 2023.

**Malaysia:** Soaring oil prices cast a shadow over the tourism industry. BIMB Research indicates that rising aviation fuel prices are pushing up airfares and leading airlines to reduce flights, making it difficult for Malaysia to achieve last year's visitor numbers in 2026. The 'Malaysia 2026 Tourism Plan' aims to attract 47 million visitors and generate 329 billion ringgit in tourism revenue. However, the impact of the Middle East conflict has made the outlook for Malaysia's tourism industry grim. In 2025, foreign tourist arrivals reached 26.6 million. It is now estimated that arrivals in 2026 may not exceed 25 million.

**Thailand:** Government collaborates with businesses to lower prices, with up to 58% reduction on 3000 daily necessities. Amidst global price surges driven by the US-Iran conflict, the Thai government has launched the 'Thai people help Thai people' initiative. In collaboration with major wholesale and retail businesses, price reduction measures have been introduced for over 3000 essential items across 16 categories, with discounts ranging from 25% to 58%. These products will be available at discounted prices from April to the end of May, after which new products will be introduced. The initiative aims to ensure citizens can purchase daily necessities at reasonable prices through retail networks nationwide.

**Cambodia:** Sihanoukville Port begins expansion, capacity to increase sevenfold by 2050. Cambodia plans to expand its sole deep-water port, Sihanoukville Port, aiming to increase its cargo throughput to 6.83 million TEU by 2050, a sevenfold increase from its current capacity. In 2025, the port handled 1.34 million TEU, a 31% year-on-year increase, with a further 38% growth in the first quarter of 2026. Berth occupancy rates are currently high at 70% to 80%, far exceeding standard loads. The first phase of the expansion is expected to be completed in 2027. This will allow direct calls from large cargo ships, eliminating the need for transshipment in Singapore and potentially saving approximately $200 per container for round trips between Shanghai and Sihanoukville. (Nikkei Asia reports).

**Indonesia:** First-quarter investment grows 7% year-on-year, estimated to create over 620,000 jobs. Indonesia's investment in the first quarter of this year is projected to reach IDR 4.97 quadrillion (approximately NT$919 billion), a 7% year-on-year increase, and is estimated to create over 620,000 job opportunities. According to reports from the Jakarta Globe on the 13th, Indonesian Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani stated that despite global economic instability, early investment performance met expectations. Beyond capital inflow, Q1 investment is projected to create 627,000 jobs, a 5.5% increase from the same period last year. For more information, contact Ms. Chang Li-chuan at (02) 2505-1180 ext. 792 or email mia@mail.cna.com.tw. Standing with the facts, your every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom. Download CNA's 'One-Stop News' APP for real-time updates. Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or used without authorization.