The challenges of reduced working hours
The Malaysian government has announced that amendments to the Employment Act, which will see weekly working hours reduced from 48 to 45 hours, will be enforced from Sept 1.
Policy Matters
South Korea’s work flexibility still far more rigid than advanced economies
The statutory working hours in Korea are eight hours per day and 40 hours per week, unlike the US and the UK, which regulate only weekly working hours.
PayPal registers in Indonesia, access unblocked, company says
The government had blocked PayPal's website due to its failure to comply to licensing rules, but access was temporarily opened starting July 31 to allow customers to transfer…
Japanese govt panel submits proposal for ¥31 minimum wage increase
It is the largest increase recommended by the Central Minimum Wages Council, exceeding the previous record of ¥28 proposed in the fiscal year 2021.
Revitalization minister Yamagiwa to serve as minister for startups
Fostering startups is a key part of the prime minister’s ‘new capitalism’ policy goal, and Prime Minister Kishida aims to speed up progress in this area.
‘Digital tax’ pours $167 million into Indonesia’s state coffers in first half of 2022
Rp 2.47 trillion came from VAT on transactions made through electronic systems on digital platforms like Google, which the government has collected since 2020.
Japan puts priority on developing a work-ready ‘digital workforce’
Based on its existing educational framework, Japan is not currently capable of responding to the serious ongoing shortage in digital manpower.
HKMA chief says Exchange Fund to ride out financial storm
Caught in this perfect storm, the Exchange Fund, which aims to safeguard the exchange value of the Hong Kong dollar, is expected to suffer a “significant loss” in the first…
Vietnam’s largest waste-to-energy plant hooks up to national grid
The Soc Son waste-to-energy project was approved by Hanoi authorities in late 2017 with a total investment of VND7 trillion (US$303 million).
Google, Microsoft registered in Japan as foreign tech firms
The Justice Ministry had requested the registrations in a move to promote measures dealing with online defamation.