Business

Migrant workers and Covid limbo Among the most vulnerable groups affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Asean's migrant workers find themselves living in limbo. Losing jobs, being stranded and lacking access to health care and essential services, migrant workers are struggling to survive, especially as the spread of the Delta variant is prompting new restrictions on a global scale. According to a policy brief recently released by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Asean region is projected to see 9.3 million fewer workers in employment in 2021 than expected in the absence of the pandemic, compared to 10.6 million fewer workers in 2020. This year could also see working-hour losses of 7.4% while labour income losses sre affecting all countries in Asean. The Philippines has repo...

Asian countries are taking big steps toward green goals, but huge energy appetites will be fed mainly by fossil fuels in the near term. A solar plant in Tay Ninh, Vietnam is among the many renewable power projects developed by Thailand-based B.Grimm Power Plc. Supplied/B.Grimm Power The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on nearly all forms of economic activity and the energy sector is no exception. Mobility restrictions and lockdowns have put energy resilience to the test as demand plunges and many projects come to a standstill. The oil and gas sectors were hit particularly hard, with the price of oil nosediving, stalling exploration and hurting production. Prices have since recovered but new challenges are emerging. Most notably, exploration firms are questioning the longer-te...