Asia Economics Weekly Two years of Prabowo: Indonesia heading down the wrong path Indonesia’s President Prabowo marked two years in office this week and, while the headline economic figures look good, his populist, interventionist approach to governing poses risks to Indonesia’s... 23rd October 2026 · 8 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank Indonesia: MSCI threat puts rate hike in play Bank Indonesia is likely to leave rates on hold at its meeting next week, but today’s sharp market sell-off following MSCI’s threat to downgrade Indonesia to standalone status raises the prospect of a... 16th October 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Strong growth in Vietnam, BSP hiking cycle not over Vietnam’s GDP growth surged to 10% y/y in the third quarter. However, rapid credit growth of around 20% is helping to fuel the boom, raising concerns that bad loans could rise and growth could slow... 9th October 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Rapid and lopsided growth in Korea, CBSL on hold Recent Korean data have been mixed, with weak consumer spending being offset by continued strength in exports. We expect the economy to grow by 4% this year. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s central bank left... 2nd October 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Rupiah and rate hikes, Singapore inflation rises again Bank Indonesia eft interest rates on hold at 5.75% for a third consecutive meeting on Wednesday but recent experience suggests that further sharp falls in the rupiah in the coming weeks would push the... 25th September 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Fresh doubts over Indonesia’s commitment to fiscal rules Prabowo’s decision to sack Indonesia’s Finance Minister Purbaya at the start of the week initially raised hopes of a return to more orthodox policymaking, particularly after his replacement, Suahasil... 18th September 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Won’s rebound, CBC to hold fire, China Shock 2.0 The Korean won hit a two-year high this week, helped by profit repatriation by major tech firms and foreign investors scaling back their selling of Korean equities. We think it will make further gains... 11th September 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Korea: export boom starting to feed stronger investment Monthly data published for Korea this week provide encouraging evidence that the export bonanza is beginning to feed through into stronger investment. 4th September 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Malaysia on hold, BoK dot plot points to one more hike Inflation in Malaysia remains subdued despite rapid economic growth and the recent jump in global energy prices, so we expect Bank Negara Malaysia to leave rates unchanged on Thursday. In Korea, the... 28th August 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Taiwan’s 2027 budget, Thai rates to stay low Plans in Taiwan’s 2027 budget for a sharp rise in defence spending may face some pushback from parliament, but proposals for an even larger rise in social welfare spending and a fresh round of cash... 21st August 2026 · 8 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore’s AI boom, test for Bank Indonesia GDP figures published this week confirm that Singapore’s economy is booming, with growth being driven by the global AI investment cycle and surging demand for electronics. But the boom is not... 14th August 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly BoK hawkish as inflation eases across Asia Inflation in Korea fell in August, but hawkish minutes from the BOK’s July meeting suggest that further tightening is likely. While it will be a close call, we expect the next hike to come in October... 7th August 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly BI independence concerns, SBP on hold Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo’s surprise resignation at the start of the week has raised further concerns over central bank independence, but markets have remained calm given the appointment... 31st July 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly New tariffs, Sri Lanka tightening cycle not over US tariffs on Asian economies are entering a new phase following the expiration of the 10% global surcharge under Section 122. This is being replaced with country-specific Section 301 duties, but... 24th July 2026 · 6 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Singapore boom continues, hawkish Bank of Korea Singapore’s economy remained strong in Q2, with GDP growth of 5.7% y/y driven by a manufacturing boom linked to AI-related demand. However, with inflation staying low, we expect the Monetary Authority... 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Asia Economics Weekly Bank of Korea to kick start tightening cycle A combination of above-target inflation, buoyant growth, a struggling currency, and rising property prices in Seoul all point to the Bank of Korea hiking rates by 25bp to 2.75% next week. We currently... 10th July 2026 · 4 mins read
