Amy Sood

Hong Kong

Asia Reporter at South China Morning Post

Asia Reporter @SCMPNews covering Indonesia, India, SEA affairs | words @afpfactcheck @cnni @NBCnews, @fcchk fellow 2021-22 | usual disclaimers

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Articles

Will Indonesia’s Whoosh extension to Surabaya be derailed by Chinese debt?

6 days ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Indonesia is reviving plans to extend its Chinese-backed high-speed rail network, with ambitions to connect Jakarta with Surabaya, the nation’s second-largest city. But analysts say familiar complications could stall the project, from regulatory hurdles to the mounting debt owed to China. The proposed extension would build on Whoosh – Southeast Asia’s first high speed rail line – a US$7.3 billion project connecting capital Jakarta to Bandung in West Java province.
Will Indonesia’s Whoosh extension to Surabaya be derailed by Chinese debt?

6 days ago | flipboard.com | Amy Sood

9 hours agoValerie Mahaffey, who reached a career zenith in 1992 with an Emmy win for Best Supporting actress in a Drama Series for Northern Exposure, died on May 30 after losing her battle with cancer. She was 71. Born June 16, 1953 in Sumatra, Indonesia, Valerie Mahaffey racked up 90 credits as a character …
Can Asean become a top economy despite Trump’s tariffs and internal hurdles?

1 week ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Members of the Asean bloc have laid out an ambitious plan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2045, but analysts warn the region must first overcome deep-rooted trade barriers, domestic implementation woes and a shifting global trade order. Released on Tuesday during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, the five-year strategy to achieve the economic goal aims to boost regional integration and better address complex issues.
Indonesia faces calls to boost economy through more support for small businesses

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Indonesia must bolster support for informal and rural businesses if it is to revive its slowing economy and meet President Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious goal of raising annual growth to 8 per cent by the end of his term, according to former officials and economists. Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for more than 60 per cent of Indonesia’s gross domestic product and employ nearly 117 million people – or 97 per cent of the total workforce – according to government data.
India’s stock market rated above Japan and China by more fund managers: survey

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

India has emerged as the top stock market pick in Asia by wealth fund managers, who view the country as a potential beneficiary of global supply chain shifts driven by US-China trade tensions, despite its unresolved trade talks with Washington and ongoing frictions with Pakistan. About 42 per cent of fund managers have an overweight position on Indian equities, ahead of Japan at 39 per cent and China at just 6 per cent, according to a survey released by Bank of America Securities on May 13.
Will Indonesia’s GoTo and Singapore’s Grab merge to become a regional superapp?

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

As speculation mounts over a potential acquisition of Indonesian consumer tech giant GoTo by Singapore-based Grab, analysts warn the deal could face opposition in Indonesia over foreign ownership concerns and the regional clout of the potential owner. The reported deal would value GoTo at around US$7 billion, according to a Reuters report on May 7, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
India’s manufacturers fear influx of cheap Chinese imports amid US-China trade war fallout

2 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Indian manufacturers are sounding the alarm over a growing influx of low-cost Chinese goods, from yarn and steel to toys and electronics, warning that they are being priced out of their own markets as Beijing redirects more exports away from the United States.
Indonesia slams Singapore’s ‘shameful’ fuel prices, plans pivot to US imports

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Indonesia plans to slash fuel imports from Singapore and pivot to supplies from the United States and the Middle East, in a move that analysts see as a bid to reduce its dependence on the neighbouring city state and gain a strategic advantage in trade talks with Washington.
Indonesia slams Singapore’s ‘shameful’ fuel prices, plans pivot to US imports

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Amy Sood

1 hour agoTrump Redefines the ‘N-Word’ for Fox NewsFriday night viewers tuned in to hear the president describe the simmering India-Pakistan conflict in an odd manner.
In Indonesia, nickel miners warn of mass lay-offs as royalty rise threatens profits

3 weeks ago | scmp.com | Amy Sood

Indonesia’s move to raise royalties on lucrative commodities offers an opportunity for the global nickel powerhouse to boost state revenue and fund President Prabowo Subianto’s ambitious flagship programmes. But it is facing resistance from mining groups. The new royalty structure, implemented at the end of April, affects minerals including nickel, copper, tin, gold and bauxite. Nickel royalties, for example, have risen from a flat rate of 10 per cent to a range of 14 to 19 per cent.