Business

Hong Kong’s eMPF will cut administration fees for 378 funds by 21.6%, lowering rates from 0.37% to 0.29% from April 1, and is forecast to save HK$50 billion (US$6.4bn) in under 10 years.

Panama’s banking sector is consolidating as foreign capital pours in and large acquisitions reshape the market, strengthening the country’s role as a regional financial hub.

Alibaba Cloud and other Chinese cloud providers are combining infrastructure with AI to help firms expand overseas, offering new digital tools that could reshape global competition.

Panama has moved to strengthen its gambling regulations and restrict betting advertising, a shift reported by iGamingToday that will affect operators and marketers in the country.

Experts in Panama advise that the annual thirteenth month pay can be transformed from short-term relief into lasting financial progress by prioritizing debt reduction, savings, and planning.

An investor has initiated arbitration under the Panama–Singapore FTA after Panama abruptly cancelled an LNG project, pursuing about $4 billion in damages. The dispute underscores risks for energy investment and could carry major financial and policy implications for Panama.

Tensions between Washington and Beijing are playing out in Panama as AMP takes over Cristóbal and Balboa ports and concerns grow over potential Chinese retaliation affecting the Panamanian shipping registry and imports.

Hong Kong is accelerating efforts to expand AI computing capacity after chip executives warned that autonomous AI agents will drive explosive demand for GPUs and other processors.

Marc Jacobs’s Spring 2026 capsule, Make Your Marc, honors the label’s most recognizable handbags — from the Venetia and Stam to The Tote Bag and The Snapshot — reaffirming the enduring appeal of his accessory designs.

Hong Kong equities rose Tuesday as signs of easing Middle East tensions and hopes of a US‑Iran diplomatic breakthrough lifted risk appetite; Hang Seng climbed 1.2%.

Panama’s National Assembly debate on a bioethanol bill centers on cost thresholds, antimonopoly safeguards and technical measures to address humidity and fuel quality as a path to energy sovereignty.

Country Garden said filings show it will post a 2025 profit of about 1–2.2 billion yuan (US$145M–US$320M), largely due to a non-cash gain after completing a debt restructuring, reversing a ¥35.15B loss in 2024.

An opinion in La Prensa urges Panama to expand its interoceanic energy plans from propane and butane to a large‑scale trans‑isthmus natural gas pipeline financed by consumer consortia, positioning Panama as a hemispheric energy hub.

At the March 8 “two sessions,” China’s foreign minister called the war “one that should not have happened,” offering five principles for resolution but no concrete enforcement measures.

Project Law 306, approved in second debate, aims to curb abusive debt-collection practices but raises constitutional and practical concerns about limits on creditor actions, information, and data handling.

At a Chamber of Commerce forum, Panamanian experts warned that accelerating public-private partnerships without technical rigor can raise costs, urging transparency and long-term planning.

ASEP has launched a precalification process for a third mobile operator after Digicel’s exit (2023–2024), with service expected in Q1 2027; an opinion in La Prensa urges deeper telecom liberalization beyond a single new entrant.

Bain & Co finds Asia-Pacific private equity is shifting capital into advanced manufacturing and healthcare for steadier cash flow, as fundraising falls to a 12-year low.

A Wood Mackenzie report says surging oil prices tied to the conflict around Iran and risks to the Strait of Hormuz could accelerate global EV adoption, reinforcing China’s lead in car sales.

TVN 2 reports the IMA will buy 10,000 quintales of onions and distribute them through its agrotiendas nationwide to ensure local market sales.