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E-commerce packaging innovations cited

As brands and manufacturers seek to surprise and delight consumers while balancing sustainability, trend forecasting agency WGSN has cited e-commerce packaging innovations while making zero-waste.

Katie Raath, senior analyst for Packaging at WGSN, said it is imperative for them to concentrate on reducing e-commerce packaging, eliminating excess material and avoiding shipping air in oversized boxes, which inflates transportation emissions.

Raath urged brands and manufacturers to make it zero-waste, whether that be returnable or biodegradable.

“The three keys to e-commerce packaging are protection (of product), preservation (of environment), and presentation - creating a great unboxing experience for the consumer,” she said in a report.

Raath said the volume of e-commerce packaging globally, driven by average annual growth of 20.1 percent in the last six years, highlights the importance of manufacturers reducing the environmental damage caused by its production and discarding.

She said projections for e-commerce plastic packaging produced annually show it rising to 4.5 billion pounds by 2025, more than doubling in the last six years.

E-commerce plastic waste figures closely match production, showing this type of packaging is almost exclusively single-use, she added.

Raath said the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates global plastics recycling is at just 9 percent so the majority of this volume is headed directly to landfill.

“Advances in materials technology are opening up possibilities for sustainable packaging, reducing plastic components with alternatives that are easier to recycle and fully biodegradable,” she said.

Raath cited as an example Canadian manufacturer CelluloTech’s patented chromatogeny process using a chemical reaction to make paper permanently super hydrophobic and boost its mechanical properties.

“For e-commerce, this means thinner boxes, saving material and shipping labels with no waterproof silicone layer, making them recyclable,” she added.

Biz guides help MSMEs successfully export to EU market

Philippine exporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can benefit from information particularly on complying with key technical and regulatory requirements to successfully export to the huge European Union (EU) market especially given its untapped export opportunities.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary and officer-in-charge of the Trade Promotions Group Glenn Peñaranda said trade with the EU holds significant importance for the Philippines.

“The EU GSP+ (Generalised Scheme of Preference Plus) has been instrumental in expanding our exports to the EU market, contributing not only to economic growth and inclusive development, enabling our communities across the country to engage in exports to the EU. There is still untapped potential in the EU market,” he said.

The Export Potential Analysis 2021 from the International Trade Centre (ITC) identified USD13 billion export potential for the EU market, of which USD7.15 billion or 54 percent is untapped potential. This indicates the Philippines can still grow its presence in the EU market.

“There is tremendous potential in the Philippines to grow its presence in the EU market and Philippine MSMEs have a real opportunity to benefit from international trade,” Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PHILEXPORT) Executive Vice President Senen Perlada.

Perlada said the business guides launched on July 25 for the Philippine private sector will strengthen competitiveness of exporters and their ability to seize opportunities in the EU.

Developed by the DTI with the assistance from the ITC and inputs from the public and private sectors to respond to challenges of exporting, the Business Guides on Exporting to the EU from the Philippines will be a useful tool for local businesses seeking to understand and comply with key technical and regulatory requirements to export to the EU market.

The guides also seek to address other challenges faced by MSMEs and new exporters in terms of understanding the opportunities available, the avenues to export to the EU, complying with complex and evolving requirements to trade with the EU, or demonstrating compliance.

The business guides are a series comprising a general guide, and five sector specific guides covering raw agricultural products, processed food products, garments and textiles, machinery, and electrical equipment.

Relevant references to practical tools for staying up to date on the specific requirements are also available to users.

Philipp Dupuis, head of Trade and Economic Affairs from the delegation of the EU to the Philippines, congratulated the DTI and the ITC for the development and publication of these Guides, which come out at a “good moment and serve a real need”.

“Trade of the Philippines with the EU has overtaken pre-pandemic figures, but there is still a lot of scope, which can be attributed to the lack of knowledge of Philippine exporters on exporting to the EU,” he said.

“The Guides we are launching come at the right moment, providing a tool that will hopefully fill this knowledge gap. We hope the Guides will find practical applications and support Philippine exporters to trade more with the EU, including in the framework of the extension of the current GSP+ framework until 2027,” he added.

The guides will be available at future awareness-raising events planned by ITC under the ARISE Plus Philippines project and as resources on the relevant online platforms of the Philippines government and relevant stakeholders.

ARISE Plus Philippines is a project of the Philippine government, with the DTI as lead partner together with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Customs, the Department of Science and Technology, as well as the private sector.

It is funded by the EU with ITC as the technical agency for the project.

Training, coaching program boosts SMEs’ productivity, working conditions

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with 20 to 250 employees are encouraged to avail of a practical training and in-factory coaching program to improve working conditions, boost productivity and grow a successful business.

During the SCORE project meeting, International Labor Organization (ILO) consultant Jeff Kristiano said the ILO’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) training supports enterprises to strengthen collaboration and communication between managers and workers in improving working conditions and reducing the environmental footprint.

Kristiano said interventions in supply chains involve improving cooperation, productivity, and working conditions; and creating sustainable problem-solving systems, and improving industrial relations.

He said although public health authorities worldwide are working to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), enterprises need to put in place preventive and mitigation measures against the disease at their workplaces.

“(It is the) responsibility of employers to ensure all practicable preventive and protective measures are taken,” he added. “Contaminated workplace means it can be transmitted to workers. This includes their families, suppliers, buyers, and the public in general.”

After the training, Kristiano said the trainer will visit the factories and conduct follow-up meetings and coaching.

He said SCORE training results in better quality products, productivity improvement ranging from 15 to 50 percent, and higher productivity amid better working conditions.

Operating around the world across various sectors, the program aims at improving the competitiveness of SMEs by stimulating better workplace cooperation between management and labor on issues such as quality; productivity and cleaner production; human resource management; and occupational health and safety (OSH).

Dang Buenaventura-Snyder, senior manager at Employers Confederation of the Philippines’ (ECOP) Occupational Safety and Health Academy, said ECOP and ILO have agreed to deliver this program not just for ECOP members but also for non-members as well.

“What ECOP does (is) we ask companies for a very brief meeting to discuss what SCORE is all about, we also ask for face-to-face interaction. That’s basically the baseline comes in and then the planning stage wherein we invite the companies and its representative,” she said.

“The most important part is to really document the companies’ good practices because at the end of the day, we want to see the impact,” she added.

ASEAN Centre for Climate Change aims for September open

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The ASEAN Centre for Climate Change is aiming to begin operations this September, according to the head of the Brunei Climate Change Secretariat (BCCS).

Ahmad Zaiemaddien Pehin Dato Hj Halbi said to get the centre “up and running”, they need to ratify the establishment agreement at the ministerial level, ideally during the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) this August.

Discussions at the working group and senior official level are ongoing to finalise the ratification, he told The Scoop on the sidelines of an EU-Brunei policy seminar on climate change which took place on Thursday.

Source: The Scoop
Read the full article here

Brunei announces phased introduction of minimum wage

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Brunei will introduce a new minimum wage policy across all industries in the private sector, His Majesty announced on Saturday.

In his customary address to mark his 77th birthday, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah said the move was “a step towards strengthening the lives and well-being of the people”, and urged the business sector to support the new policy.

Minimum wage policy will be implemented in two phases and will apply to both local and foreign workers, whether they are working full-time or part-time.

The first phase will cover the banking and finance sector and the ICT sector, while minimum wage for other sectors will be announced at a later date, the Labour Department said in a statement issued to media.

Full-time workers in banking, finance and ICT are entitled to a minimum salary of $500 per month, while part-time workers are entitled to at least $2.62 per hour.

Source: The Scoop

Read the full article here

Improved domestic economy with ongoing FDI projects, says BDCB

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected global growth for 2023 to be slower at 2.8 per cent compared to 3.4 per cent in 2022, before rising to three per cent in 2024, the  Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) noted in its Policy Statement 1/2023.

Meanwhile, the domestic economy contracted by 1.6 per cent in 2022, largely driven by a contraction in the oil and gas sector. The domestic economy is expected to improve this year mainly contributed by ongoing foreign direct investments projects. However, downside risks remain with expectations of slower global demand, lower crude oil and liquefied natural gas production levels, and uncertainty in the crude oil market.

As central banks globally are still attempting to tame inflation, the Monetary Authority of Singapore in its April 2023 Monetary Policy Statement, decided to maintain its latest policy stance as the effects of its monetary policy tightening are still working through the economy and is expected to continue to lower inflation further.

Taking this and available Consumer Price Index data into consideration, BDCB’s inflation forecast for the Sultanate for 2023 is expected to be within the range of one per cent to two per cent. BDCB noted that there was a slight decline in the financial sector’s total assets of 0.3 per cent year-on-year with total asset value of BND23.9 billion as of Q1 2023, of which BND14.1 billion (59.1 per cent) was held by the Islamic finance sector. Deposit-taking institutions made up 91.9 per cent of the total financial sector assets with an asset base of BND21.9 billion. The banking industry continues to remain resilient with an aggregate Capital Adequacy Ratio of 21.3 per cent as of Q1 2023. Additionally, in line with the increasing interest/profit rate environment an upward trend was recorded in the banking sector’s profitability.

Source: Borneo Bulletin

Read the full article here


Thai e-commerce market to reach 7 trillion baht in 2023-2024

A new report from Krungthai Bank shows that the number of internet users in Thailand has grown by 13.7 million people in the past five years, reaching a total of 61.2 million users.

Social media use is also on the rise, with Facebook and Line being the most popular platforms.

Key Takeaways

- Online shopping is projected to soar this year and next, with an estimated value of 634-694 billion baht, growing at an average rate of 6% per year, with personal and household care products, beverages, and food being the popular product categories.

- The number of Thais accessing the internet has increased by 13.7 million people in 5 years, reaching a total of 61.2 million users, with social media usage surging to 52.3 million people, dominated by Facebook and Line.

- Various businesses have increasingly prioritised online channels, evident from the average 12.4% yearly expansion of online advertising expenditure over the past five years, while offline advertising has experienced a 3% decline annually.

The growth in internet use is attributed to private sector service providers expanding their coverage nationwide and the government’s policies to improve internet accessibility since 2019. Thailand ranks fourth for fixed broadband internet speed and 15th for mobile internet, with nearly 70% of Thais using mobile phones for web browsing.

Google, YouTube, and Facebook are the top three most visited sites in Thailand. Thai consumers prefer online purchasing of goods and services, particularly personal and household care products, beverages, and food.

 

Source : Thailand Business News

World Bank raises Thailand 2023 growth outlook to 3.9% as tourists return

Thailand's economy is projected to grow 3.9% this year, up from a previous forecast of 3.6%, helped by private consumption growth and a recovery in tourism, the World Bank said on Wednesday.

Southeast Asia's second-largest economy expanded 2.6% in 2022, when its tourism sector began to rebound after broad pandemic-related travel curbs were eased.

Growth is expected at 3.6% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2025, with tourism and private consumption remaining the primary drivers of growth as external demand weakens, the bank said in a statement.

The return of tourists, particularly from China, has strengthened the tourism outlook. Arrivals are projected to reach a greater-than-expected 28.5 million this year, 84% of the pre-pandemic 2019 level, it said.

However, downside risks remain as weaker-than-expected global growth and political uncertainty pose key challenges to the near-term growth outlook, the bank said.

Thailand is in the process of forming a new government after May's election, but doubts linger whether the leader of the winning Move Forward party has enough support to be voted prime minister.

 

Source : REUTERS

Thailand business sentiment improves

Thailand's business sentiment improved in June as confidence among manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors increased, data released by the central bank showed Monday.

According to the Bank of Thailand (BOT), the country's business sentiment index rose to 51.0 last month from 49.7 in May as most sub-indices increased, led by performance and production.

The manufacturing index rose particularly in the automotive, steel and petroleum-related industries due to significantly higher confidence in performance and production, the BOT said in a statement.

Respondents in the hotel and restaurant sectors reported increased confidence because of the tourism recovery, whereas respondents in other non-manufacturing sectors reported roughly stable confidence, the statement said.

The reading was based on a survey of 509 respondents from large- and medium-sized firms, the central bank said.

 

Source : The Manila Times

GPO joins hands with South Korean firm to improve flu shot production

Thailand’s Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) has established a cooperation with a South Korean biotech company to improve the manufacturing of influenza vaccines in the country.

The GPO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea’s biopharmaceutical firm SK Bioscience on the development of a new technology for the production of influenza vaccine, using a cell-based technique. This cooperation is to replace the traditional manufacturing method of inactivated influenza vaccine using eggs with the cell-based technique, also called cell culture, where flu viruses are grown in cultured cells instead of chicken eggs.

Dr. Mingkwan Suphannaphong, Managing Director at the GPO, said this cooperation will see SK Bioscience transfer its technology on the bottling process for future vaccines to the GPO. The South Korean company is a manufacturer of pre-filled and ready-to-use influenza vaccines, covering 3 or 4 strains of the virus.

The second phase of this technological transfer will cover all aspects of manufacturing, allowing the GPO to be able to produce flu shots using this new technique on its own.

The GPO is expected to introduce this new product in Thailand next year, with the product fully manufactured domestically to be introduced in 2 years. The GPO and SK Bioscience also have plans to co-develop several new vaccines, including the PPV vaccine and vaccines against shingles.

 

           

Source : NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU OF THAILAND

Continued growth of Thailand's digital asset market expected

Thailand's digital asset market is expected to grow further thanks to the efforts being made by government agencies to keep up with global trends, experts said during a roundtable discussion on Wednesday.

Brooks Entwistle, senior vice president and managing director of crypto solution provider Ripple, noted that Thailand's digital asset market had grown significantly and advised the related sectors to work together on developing a regulatory framework to allow the ecosystem to further expand.

He explained that a clear regulatory framework is necessary to earn the confidence of consumers and investors.

Ripple's policy director for Asia-Pacific, Rahul Advani, said one of the reasons behind the growth of the digital asset market in the region is the ease and convenience it has brought to international money transfers. Old-fashioned transfers are slow and expensive, especially in terms of foreign currency where losses are usually experienced in exchange rate variations.

He added that Thailand's digital asset market has grown exponentially despite the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)'s focus on consumer protection. “Thai government agencies are good partners in digital asset market development,” he said, adding that he expected the market to evolve further as government agencies openly engage in the technology.

Angela Ang, senior policy adviser of blockchain intelligence company TRM Labs, said Thailand had been among the early adopters of digital assets.

This has allowed the country to improve its regulatory framework to meet consumers’ and investors' needs, she said, adding that the country's clear regulations have helped boost confidence among consumers and investors.

Expressing the hope that Thailand's market would expand further to meet the next age of digital assets, she said compliance in this second age will be influenced by three key themes:

  • Adapting regulatory and compliant approaches to decentralised finance (DeFi)
  • Rise of supervisory transparency
  • Moving from technical compliance to effectiveness

 

Source : THE NATION THAILAND

Thai business sentiment improves in June

Thailand's business sentiment improved in June as confidence among manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors increased, data released by the central bank showed Monday.

According to the Bank of Thailand (BOT), the country's business sentiment index (BSI) rose to 51.0 last month from 49.7 in May as most sub-indices increased, led by performance and production.

The manufacturing index rose particularly in the automotive, steel, and petroleum-related industries due to significantly higher confidence in performance and production, the BOT said in a statement.

Respondents in the hotel and restaurant sectors reported increased confidence because of the tourism recovery, whereas respondents in other non-manufacturing sectors reported roughly stable confidence, the statement said.

The reading was based on a survey of 509 respondents from large and medium-sized firms, the central bank said.

 

Source : Xinhua

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