As a major driver of the national economy, China saw retail sales of consumer goods jump 8.4 percent year-on-year to 19.5 trillion yuan (US$2.83 trillion) in the first half of this year, a positive sign highlighting the country’s rising spending power despite a complex global economic situation with increasing external uncertainties.

In addition to witnessing strong online sales between January and June, the ministry found that the growth in goods used for daily lives remained encouraging during the same period, as daily necessities, Western and traditional Chinese medicines, grain and edible oil, and beverage products surged by 14.1 percent, 10.9 percent, 10.4 percent and 9.9 percent year-on-year, respectively.

According to the statement, the head of the ministry’s Department of Market Operation and Consumption Promotion, said for the next step, the government will continue to optimize the operational mechanism of its consumption system, speed up the transformation of old urban residential areas and implement other policies to further stimulate the potential of domestic consumption, as well as create more jobs in both urban and rural areas.

Sun Fuquan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development in Beijing, said as China officially gave the green light to 5G commercial services in June, a new round of consumption demand will be stimulated in the second half of this year. Consumption of high-definition televisions, intelligent home appliances, virtual-reality and augmented-reality products will also see fast growth.

“The growth in these specific areas will not only occur in the home market, but also in global markets, especially those economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative,” he said.

As the business model and product content evolved, services rather than real items, have also become the new growth point targeted by both physical stores and e-commerce platforms, said Li Dongjin, a marketing professor at Tianjin-based Nankai University.

China experienced steady development of service consumption in the first half of the year, as the growth of country’s catering sector, educational and entertainment business, and healthcare industry rose 9.4 percent, 10.9 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively, leading to service spending accounting for 49.4 percent of the country’s total domestic consumption, an increase of 0.6 percentage point over the same period a year earlier.

To better support the preparatory work for the upcoming second China International Import Expo in Shanghai and understand the country’s supply capacity and demand for major consumer goods in a timely and accurate manner, the Ministry of Commerce conducted a statistical survey of the country’s retailers and consumers, on the supply and demand of 10 major categories of consumer goods, such as food and clothing, from March to May this year.

The survey found that the supply of consumer goods was mainly domestic, and the demand for imports was strong. About 79.6 percent of consumers purchased imported consumer goods during the three-month period. Foreign cosmetics, jewelry, passenger vehicles, maternal and child products, watches and glasses remained popular choices for Chinese shoppers.

About 24.1 percent of consumers said they would increase their purchases of imported consumer goods in the second half of this year. They are now paying more attention to branding information, product safety and design in the process of selecting goods, according to the survey.

Following a two-day Board of Governors meeting, the central bank cut its benchmark rate, the seven-day reverse repo rate, by 25 basis points (bps) to 5.75 percent on Thursday. Lending and deposit facility rates were also slashed by 25 bps to 6.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said the decision was taken amid low inflation and the need to boost domestic growth, while external pressures had eased.

“The decision [to cut rates] was made in line with expected low inflation and the need to encourage the momentum for economic growth amid the easing of global financial uncertainties and manageable external stability,” said Perry in Jakarta on Thursday.

The central banker added that BI still saw room for further monetary policy easing going forward, considering low inflation and the need to boost GDP growth, hinting at an end to the 175-bps tightening cycle undertaken by the central bank from May to November last year to stabilize Indonesia’s current account balance.

“Our monetary policy will be accommodative going forward,” said Perry. “The accommodative monetary policy could mean that we further ease liquidity, or it could mean bringing down the interest rate.”

Perry added that the decision to slash the policy rate was based on the assumption that the United States Federal Reserve would bring down its policy rate one time in 2019.

The Kyoto city fire department initially confirmed that one person had died, but dozens were later found in cardiac arrest inside the three-story building. The Kyoto Prefectural Police have since confirmed that a total of 16 had died.

According to the fire department, a nearby resident made an emergency call at about 10:35 a.m., saying they had heard the sound of an explosion.

Officials of the Kyoto Prefectural Police rushed to the studio and found a man, 41, on a road near the studio. The man told them, “I sprinkled liquid on the first floor and set it on fire.”

Police said the man was injured and was receiving treatment at a hospital. Before the fire broke out, the man allegedly entered the building while screaming “Die!”

According to police, a knife was found in connection with the incident. Police said they would question the man on suspicion of arson.

According to the Kyoto Animation website, the company was established in 1981 and its head office is located in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture. The studio has produced many popular TV anime works that have subsequently been adapted as animated films for theatrical release.

Among these is “K-ON!” which depicts the members of a girls’ high school pop band. The company also produced “Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu” (Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya).

The studio has produced a wide range of works from fantasies to mysteries. The studio is nicknamed Kyo-Ani and has many enthusiastic fans.

The company has about 150 employees, according to a private credit research company and other sources.

Officials are continuing their investigation to find the company or individuals responsible for bringing the containers into Cambodia, ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra told The Post on Wednesday.

He said legal action will be taken when they are found. “The plastic waste was illegally imported into Cambodia with the use of inaccurate documents saying the containers held ‘recyclable products’ rather than ‘waste’.”

“The government will continue to take the strictest action against the import of illegal goods. The government in no way allows such plastic waste into Cambodia. Cambodia is not a rubbish tip.”

“Authorities have been preparing the procedures to determine when it will be sent back to its countries of origin. The importing company will be fined in accordance with the law,” Pheaktra said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the ministry, the General Department of Customs and Excise and other relevant institutions broke open the 83 containers at the port for inspection which revealed they contained only plastic waste.

Pheaktra said the crackdown showed good cooperation between the ministry and relevant institutions – including the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s General Department of Customs and Excise and the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port customs and excise branch – in preventing prohibited goods from being imported into the Kingdom.

Preah Sihanouk Provincial Hall spokesman Kheang Phearum declined to comment on the issue and referred questions to Yik You, the director of the port’s customs and excise branch. However, You could not be reached on Wednesday.

Kun Nhem, the director-general of the General Department of Customs and Excise, told reporters on Tuesday: “The number of containers at this international port has increased and we cannot inspect all the containers. On average more than 700 containers come through the port daily.

“Through our inspection system, we can only perform arbitrary inspections, certainly not comprehensive ones. We merely see the origin of the goods and what goods they are. If we find that the goods are on the list of prohibited ones, we seize them for further investigation and take action.”

Cheap Sotheary, the provincial coordinator for human rights group Adhoc, said this is the second such case in the province. In 1998, toxic waste made its way into the port from Taiwan and was disposed of in Prey Nop district’s Bit Traing commune.

Circulating rumours that the waste was radioactive caused mass panic among villagers, many of who fled, leaving the area quiet. However, Thai army experts inspected the waste and determined it was not radioactive.

Sotheary said that this time, relevant government officials must properly monitor and package the waste to be shipped back to its countries of origin and must impose a fine on those who shipped them in. Additionally, the officers who allowed it in must receive a warning or punishment.

“I don’t know how foreigners look at our laws or how they look at Cambodian officers, but the government must punish the importing company and those responsible for allowing the import of such goods.”

US Embassy spokesperson Emily Zeeberg told The Post on Wednesday that the embassy is monitoring reports of plastic waste at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port.

“We have requested additional information and are offering US government assistance to determine both the exporter and the importing entity here in Cambodia,” she said.

The death toll in the building collapse in India’s financial capital Mumbai rose to 14 on Wednesday as rescue operations continued for the second day after the 100-year-old structure crumbled to the ground under incessant rains on Tuesday.

The death toll is likely to go up further as the rescue operations progress, an official from the Mumbai disaster management cell said. Dozens are still feared trapped in the rubble.

At least 40 to 50 people were feared trapped under the debris of the four-storey building in the Dongri locality of Mumbai, local residents said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is also carrying out rescue and search operations with the help of sniffer dogs.

Nine people, including two children, have been rescued so far.

Three NDRF teams were joined by the fire brigade, police and local residents in the rescue operations that continued through the night.

The rescue teams could not bring in heavy vehicles to remove the debris as the lanes in the Dongri locality are narrow with electric wires dangling overhead.

Residents formed a human chain to pass down, hand-to-hand, smaller pieces of debris such as wooden blocks and bricks towards the outer area of the neighbourhood.

A spokesperson for the NDRF said rescue team members had been told that there were customers at an eatery situated on the ground floor of the building when it collapsed but and no one knew the exact numbers.

The Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, has announced a compensation of Rs 5,00,000 for each for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured. All medical expenses of the injured will be borne by the state.

Mumbai Police has registered a complaint and begun investigations into the building collapse as the structure is thought to be an unauthorised construction.

Dilapidated, mainly unauthorised buildings dot the older areas of Mumbai many of which are still occupied by residents despite civic authorities’ warnings.

Real estate prices in Mumbai are among the highest in Asia and safe, affordable housing virtually non-existent.

A senior official at the Xayaboury Energy and Mines Department said yesterday the trial run of the dam’s fifth generator began on July 17.

The trial operation of other generators took place earlier this year as part of preparations for full commercial operation. The hydro plant has eight generators in total.

“If everything goes as planned, full commercial operation of the Xayaboury dam will kick off at the end of this year,” said the official, who acts as a coordinator between the project developers and the government.

Deputy Director of the Xayaboury Energy and Mines Department, Dr Xayphone Bounsou, said yesterday the department had issued a notice to inform people living upstream and downstream of the dam of the possible impacts of the generator trial.

The notice said the exercise would cause sudden changes in the water level upstream and downstream of the dam from July 15 to 29. The water level will return to normal once the trial run of the generator is complete.

The notice was intended to keep local residents informed about developments so they could take steps to accommodate the change in water levels.

Construction of the Xayaboury hydropower plant began in 2012 after the government completed the prior consultation process in line with the 1995 Mekong Agreement.

The plant has an installed generation capacity of 1,258MW and is expected to generate 7,370 GWh annually. Most of the power generated will be sold to Thailand.

The government expects to earn US$3.9 billion from the operation of the dam throughout the 29-year concession period, including US$1.897 billion in royalties and US$637 million in taxes.

The government has pledged to use this money to fund poverty reduction programmes and infrastructure development so that Laos can catch up with other countries in terms of overall development.

The Government will convene a citizens’ workgroup as part of its efforts to tackle climate change and environmental issues.

This was announced by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor during the Partners for the Environment Forum yesterday.

Dr Khor said that climate change and environmental protection are “complex and multifaceted problems that cannot be addressed by the Government alone”, and which require businesses and individuals to also do their part.

Though the public has already been engaged widely on the Zero Waste Masterplan which will be launched later this year, Dr Khor said that the Government wants to go beyond discussion to action, and work with Singaporeans to co-create effective solutions to environmental issues.

The citizen’s workgroup is an example of such collaboration. Comprising 50 Singaporeans from diverse backgrounds, it will work with the authorities on solutions to improve the way people here recycle at home.

Dr Khor said the workgroup will be granted access to policy-relevant information such as household recycling surveys as well as experts who can share their experience and explore solutions.

Dr Khor said that climate change and environmental protection are “complex and multifaceted problems that cannot be addressed by the Government alone”, and which require businesses and individuals to also do their part.

She also presented the Singapore Packaging Agreement Awards to 19 companies for having made notable efforts to cut their packaging waste.

This year’s top three awards went to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), Six Senses Singapore and Greenpac.

Since February, RWS has stopped providing plastic bottles for water and soft drinks at its themed attractions, dining establishments, hotels and at some of its events.

Instead, it provides refillable carafes in each of its hotel rooms and has installed water stations on its hotel floors.

It also previously introduced reusable tumblers at Universal Studios Singapore and reduced the use of plastic packaging for its slippers, instead taking a bulk-packing approach which it also applies to retail merchandise.

An RWS spokesman said that the company is committed to improving the well-being of the community through sustainable business operations.

“We will continue to explore new and innovative eco-friendly practices to protect the environment,” he added.

In October last year, hotel chain Six Senses Singapore worked with its suppliers to replace single-use paper trays for eggs and foam boxes for seafood with reusable plastic trays and containers.

Separately, it facilitated recycling at its offices, and organised activities to educate its employees about the importance of minimising waste.

The company’s general manager Murray L. Aitken said it engages its employees, suppliers and guests in order to make the zero-waste goal a reality in its operations.

Greenpac reduced the size of packaging used for one of its clients, cutting the weight of each package from 144kg to 113kg, while maintaining the package’s integrity.

This enabled the company to reduce both packaging waste and freight costs.

Noting that a reduction in carbon footprint is important for a sustainable future, Greenpac’s chief executive officer Susan Chong said her organisation’s commitment to reducing packaging waste would help the industry become more environmentally friendly.

Dr Khor highlighted the pivotal role the corporate sector plays in promoting sustainable consumption and production.

“With your networks, reach and influence, you can lead the way in adopting circular economy practices,” she said.

The automotive industry in the country is still underdeveloped in terms of manufacturing compared to other Asean countries, but the accumulation of industrial land banks for this industry has been increasing.

Le Hieu, CBRE Vietnam’s director of Office, Industrial and Logistics Services, said big players in the market are planning to build enormous automotive manufacturing hubs, among them THACO with the Chu Lai–Truong Hai Complex in Quang Nam Province and VinFast with its automotive complex in Hai Phong City.

Furthermore, well-known foreign car assemblers including Toyota, Mitsubishi and Mercedes-Benz have been releasing their own expansion plans. The expansion is strongly supported by the rapid improvement of expressway networks and deep-sea ports connecting industrial and logistics hubs, he said.

Car part manufacturers and suppliers have also joined the game with increasing land enquiries recorded in recent years. Demand is generated from clients in all car parts production, implicating an enhanced automotive supply chain.

Thailand and the US, the two automotive giants of each respective continent, saw growth in their industrial real estate markets thanks to the concentration of automotive makers and suppliers in specific geographical locations. High occupancy and rising rental rates challenge the expansion of manufacturing and create a demand shift to emerging markets, according to CBRE Viet Nam.

“We are also seeing the same trends in Vietnam when traditional industrial markets in the northern and southern areas are maturing with limited land banks and very high rents,” said Hieu.

However, this could also be an opportunity for real estate developers to note the increasing demand for production expansion amid the current limited supply. At the same time, each region has distinct competitive advantages based on the difference in nature of business and production as well as land availability, he said.

The Vietnamese automobile industry still has much to do to reach a golden period and compete with regional rivals.

In Vietnam, the manufacturing shift from mainland China, recent rapid changes in domestic regulations and international trade agreements have had a significant impact on the industrial market. From the real estate perspective, the most important aspect for market shift and macroeconomic conditions is the increased industrial land demand serving expansion of industrial production.

The role of policy-makers is considered vital, but the industry needs more than that to thrive, CBRE said. In this context, industrial real estate developers can seize opportunities generated by the growth by offering not only land bank and storage space but also integrated industrial and logistics infrastructure specialised in automotive manufacturing to car makers and suppliers.

Dang Thanh Son, senior adviser of Baker McKenzie Law Firm, said current policies are not stable and that much work remained to be done, as such policies have been shown to greatly attract foreign investors to Vietnam.

Truong Minh Hanh, marketing director of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park in Bac Ninh Province, said hundreds of companies have invested in the industrial sector. However, their biggest challenge is to find places for production as well as areas to house workers, especially skilled workers, he said.

Hanh said the State should not have too many incentives but should tighten policies to manage the industry more effectively.

The association repeated a request to suspend discussions over the garment sector’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, said a letter dated Monday and released by GMAC secretary-general Ken Loo.

“The GMAC executive committee feels that the uncertainty surrounding EBA means we are not in any position to enter into major negotiations that will impact the industry.”

“We look forward to re-engaging on the issue of a sectoral [Collective Bargaining Agreement] once we have certainty and clarity on the EBA matter.”

“GMAC would like to reaffirm that it still continues to cooperate with all relevant parties so as to strengthen the competitiveness of the Cambodian garment, footwear and bag industry,” Loo said.

According to a Trade Union Negotiation Council letter dated July 12, GMAC also requested a suspension of negotiations in March.

The Trade Union Negotiation Council said the decision to suspend all negotiations put the progress made in discussions at risk.

It said the uncertainty brought about by the ongoing EBA withdrawal process had implications for potential future agreements but believed such uncertainty could be managed through dialogue.

“We continue to believe that engagement between employers and trade unions on a collective agreement would be a positive signal to the EU of the commitment of the parties involved in practising dialogue.”

“Withdrawing from negotiations sends the opposite message,” the Trade Union Negotiation Council letter said.

Pav Sina, the president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, is one of the nine members of the Trade Union Negotiation Council.

He said it was formed in late 2017 to get other benefits for workers aside from salary.

It is backed by the International Labour Organisation to make negotiations based on the Trade Union Negotiations Council for the garment sector’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (TUS-CBA) in the Cambodian garment and footwear sectors.

Some talks had been held this year, but they were yet to address benefits for workers, he said.

“The suspension of negotiations by employers affects the progress we have made together since late 2017.”

“It also means that the discussions on labour rights, working conditions and other benefits also stall. This means that what workers receive remains the same and is not improved,” Sina said.

Sina said GMAC continuing with negotiations could only help to portray the garment industry in a positive light as the EU considers withdrawing Cambodia’s access to EBA.

He said negotiations were encouraged by around 40 per cent of buyers in Cambodia who had expressed their commitment to contributing to additional benefits for workers.

“If we don’t suspend negotiations, the benefits that buyers are committed to providing for workers from the talks would push them to tell the EU about improvements in Cambodia. It would help prevent the EU from withdrawing EBA access,” Sina said.

“Passengers can still take pictures inside the plane such as selfies and other photos as long as they don’t infringe on the comfort and privacy of other passengers,” said Garuda Indonesia corporate secretary VP M. Ikhsan Rosan in a statement received by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday afternoon.

The previous announcement, according to the statement, had been made following a thorough process and thoughtful consideration, especially regarding inputs and complaints from passengers and cabin crew. “The [previous policy] does not intend to limit passengers who need to take pictures on board.”

Ikhsan added that rules regarding taking pictures inside planes were common among global airlines and were aimed at ensuring passengers’ comfort and privacy and maintaining safety.