Asia Economics Update Singapore: massive fiscal stimulus won’t prevent slump Today’s massive fiscal stimulus package won’t prevent Singapore from falling into a deep recession in the first half of the year, but it should ensure that the economy is well-placed to bounce back... 26th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Slump in rupiah may prompt more aggressive action The slump in the rupiah poses a major threat to Indonesia because of the country’s high level of foreign currency debt. So far, the response of the central bank has been to step up its intervention in... 24th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Emergency rate cut in Thailand, sharp downturn looms With the growth outlook deteriorating rapidly, the Bank of Thailand today became the sixth central bank in the region to cut interest rates this week. The 25bp emergency rate cut takes the policy rate... 20th March 2020 · 2 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank Indonesia will need to keep one eye on the rupiah Bank Indonesia cut interest rates today, but the slump in the rupiah in recent days means policymakers in the country will need to act more cautiously than other central banks in the region over the... 19th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Taiwan cuts rates, more easing likely In response to the rapidly worsening outlook for the economy, Taiwan’s central bank (CBC) today cut its key policy rate today by 25bps to 1.125% and announced other measures to support the economy... 19th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update How bad will it get? South East Asia and China are likely to be the worst affected countries by the current crisis, with some places likely to see GDP contract by up to 5% this year. Only a few economies in the region... 19th March 2020 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Philippines: more easing to come from the BSP The central bank in the Philippines is likely to ease further in the months ahead after opting to cut its main policy rate by 50bps today. The BSP has not yet introduced loan programmes or targeted... 19th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Pakistan slashes rates, further loosening to come In response to the rapidly worsening outlook for the economy, Pakistan’s central bank (SBP) today slashed its key policy rate by 75bp to 12.5%. With growth likely to slow sharply this year and... 17th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Bank of Korea’s next step likely to be QE The Bank of Korea today finally responded to the coronavirus outbreak by cutting the policy rate by 50bp and introducing a number of other measures to ease financing constraints. Further measures... 16th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Philippines capital city on “lockdown” over virus fears, rate cuts more likely The new restrictions on economic activity in Manila will further weigh on the country’s outlook and mean the central bank (BSP) will almost certainly cut interest rates again at its meeting on... 12th March 2020 · 2 mins read
Global Economics Update Can the virus be contained with little economic pain? Some countries have managed to control the new coronavirus without large-scale quarantines or economic shutdowns. But they have achieved this by preventing the virus from spreading within the... 11th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update South Asia at high risk of wide-scale virus outbreak The rising number of new coronavirus infections in Asia beyond China has largely been confined to Korea and Japan. But poor healthcare provision, the density of population and high levels of internal... 11th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Malaysia: budget deficit to widen after oil price slump Malaysia’s new finance minister, Tengku Zafrul, faces the unenviable challenge of dealing with a rapidly deteriorating fiscal position at the same time as the economy is slowing sharply. While the... 10th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update What do falling oil prices mean for Emerging Asia? Most countries in Emerging Asia are net importers of oil, so would usually stand to gain from a big drop in prices. But with the coronavirus continuing to spread and people increasingly avoiding... 9th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Korea could be next to disrupt global supply chains Korea’s position as a key supplier of high-tech intermediate goods means it plays an important role in regional supply chains. Extended factory closures due to the spread of the coronavirus would... 9th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Asia Economics Update Sri Lanka to keep rates on hold this year The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) left interest rates unchanged today, and while it kept the door open to loosening, high inflation and the CBSL’s concern over the rupee limits the scope for... 5th March 2020 · 3 mins read
