Boi approved investments 2017

BANGKOK – Investment applications in Thailand dropped by 42 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year, official data showed on Wednesday, led by a sharp fall in foreign projects as the global economy slowed. Foreign investments, which made up 60 percent of the overall 220 billion baht ($6.22 billion) of applications in January-June, more than halved year-on-year, data from the Board of Investment (BOI) showed. But a surge in electric vehicle (EV) and digital investments bucked the trend, and the BOI said on Wednesday it had approved several new major investment pledges. “We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our policies and incentives to ensure Thailand remains the resilient destination of choice for global investors in fast growing sectors such as electric vehicles,” BOI said in a statement. The Southeast Asian country has promoted high-tech sectors and supported EVs to maintain its status as a regional auto production base. In … [Read more...] about Thailand’s investment pledges slumped in H1 as foreign projects wane

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the sale of over -the- counter hearing aids , allowing millions of Americans to buy hearing aids without seeing an audiologist and potentially saving individuals tho us ands of dollars. The rules, which take effect in mid-October, apply to hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The aids will be available directly from stores or online without medical exams, a prescription or audiologist fitting adj us tment. White Ho us e National Economic Council director Brian Deese said the g over nment estimated the rule will save consumers about $2,800 per pair of hearing aids and could help “tens of millions of Americans.” In 2017, Congress passed legislation requiring the FDA to create a category of over -the- counter hearing aids , but it was not fully implemented. In June 2021, President Joe Biden signed a broad competition executive order that instructed the … [Read more...] about U.S. approves sale of over-the-counter hearing aids

Light Rail Transit 1 (LRT-1). (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO) MANILA, Philippines — Construction of the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) Cavite Extension officially started Tuesday, almost five years after the project was awarded to Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC). Officials, including Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and re-electionist Senator Cynthia Villar attended the program marking the commencement of the LRT-1 Cavite Extension construction located along C5 Highway in Parañaque City. Undersecretary for Railways Atty. Timothy John Batan, LRMC President Juan Felipe Alfonso, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Yoshio Wada were also present in the event. “It has been 18 years, 8 months, and 13 days since the LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project was approved by the NEDA’s Investment Coordination Committee on … [Read more...] about Construction of LRT-1 Cavite extension begins

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Anguilla, a British territory in the Caribbean, is a new member of the group of countries offering citizenship-by-investment. It could well become a prominent destination for high net worth investors, particularly North Americans since it can be an attractive tax haven. But its shortcoming is that it only offers residence to start, with citizenship being a longer-term matter. There is a difference, to be sure, between tax avoidance and tax evasion. We’re obligated to pay taxes and it can be a crime to evade them. But there are some people who try to avoid paying taxes when they can, including high net worth investors who are familiar with this difference and appreciate it. This is where Anguilla’s benefits come into play. The advantage Anguilla offers is that it has no direct taxation, with no income tax, capital gains tax , gift tax, net worth tax, inheritance tax, or corporate taxation. To become a permanent resident … [Read more...] about Anguilla Residency Program Offers New Tax Haven For Investors

A Makati City Court has voided the P34-billion Manila Bay reclamation venture of the Gatchalian family, saying it did not undergo the required competitive bidding process. The Manila Waterfront City proposal is a mixed-use development spanning 318 hectares that would be located west of the Quirino Grandstand up to the breakwater of Manila South Harbor. The joint venture, signed in 2017, was led by the City of Manila and Waterfront Manila Premier Development Inc., owned by the Gatchalian family. But in an order last April 25, the Makati Court nullified the venture for various violations. No Neda approval It said the City of Manila and Waterfront “failed to secure the required [National Economic and Development Authority] board approval and because the Manila Waterfront City reclamation project did not undergo public bidding as required.” The court also recognized a project award granted three decades ago to petitioner, Asean Seas Resources and Construction Development Corp., … [Read more...] about Court voids P34-B reclamation of Manila Bay by Gatchalians

The country’s chief economist expects more private sector funding for public infrastructure projects materializing soon, as President Marcos approved the plan to revisit the supposedly “antimarket” provisions of the guidelines of the Amended Build-Operation-Transfer (BOT) Law. “We have already received the President’s directive to review the implementing rules and regulations or IRR of the BOT Law. We are presently awaiting the convening of the committee to review the rules,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan told the 2022 economic forum organized by the Economic Journalists’ Association of the Philippines (EJAP) and San Miguel Corp. (SMC). “We have received several private sector stakeholders’ comments expressing their concerns over specific provisions of the IRR. Of course, a careful review of the rules requires that we perform a balancing act: encouraging private investment to promote job creation, technological innovation, and product competition while … [Read more...] about Marcos OKs Neda review of ‘antimarket’ BOT Law rules

Paul Moller stands in the back corner of a large garage in Davis, California, clean-shaven and wearing a large pair of golden aviator glasses. The 52-year-old engineer is a professor down the road at the University of California, Davis, but he’s not the type to sit back with a book and highlighter. In his white polo shirt and glossy brown bomber jacket, he looks ready to tinker with the shiny invention behind him at knee-level at a moment’s notice. advertisement advertisement The dark blue saucer behind Moller features eight propellers encircling a small, one-person cockpit. Behold Moller’s new M200X—a vehicle reminiscent of the Jetson family’s green flying car that Moller says is almost ready for manned test flights. Cut to: Moller stands outside with the M200X in an open grassy field. The vehicle, tethered to a rope, powers up, whirring loudly. The saucer lifts slowly into the air, rocking back and forth unsteadily, before Moller and his team signal … [Read more...] about Paul Moller’s 50-year dream to build a flying car won’t die

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Small Pharma is evaluating the best way to administer N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in a therapeutic setting for the treatment of depressive disorders. DMT—the primary psychoactive compound in ayahuasca—could show promise in formulations designed to treat major depressive disorder. DMT is typically used by inhalation via smoking or vaping, or in combination with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor to make it orally active, making it much harder to develop into medicine. But Small Pharma’s formulations are currently in various stages of clinical trials to determine their efficacy in treating the disorder intravenously. Small Pharma’s patent application was granted on August 9 in the United States under patent no. 11,406,619 for novel injectable formulations of DMT-based compounds. It’s the company’s tenth patent as well as its first U.S. psychedelic patent grant, including formulations of DMT, the active ingredient in … [Read more...] about Small Pharma’s Patented Injectable DMT Formulations Could Help Battle Depression

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Pairing wine and food is often referred to as both an art and science. Wine seems to go especially well with local cuisine from the country in which it is produced, such as French or Italian wine with French or Italian cuisine. However, matching wine to Asian food flavors is often considered to be more challenging – especially dishes that have unique herbs, spices and flavors compared to traditional western fare. Yet at Eight Tables Restaurant by George Chen, hidden at the end of a small alley in San Francisco’s Chinatown, the food and wine team have reached new gastronomic heights in matching fine Chinese food with some of the top wines of the world. "Most folks don't think Chinese food goes with grape variety wines and that is a complete fallacy,” states Executive Chef and Founder, George Chen. Chen, an award winning chef who has created and operated 16 restaurants around the world, launched Eight Tables in 2017. His … [Read more...] about The Art Of Pairing Wine With Asian Food Taken To New Heights At Eight Tables Restaurant In San Francisco

St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) and its transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) teams of care marked a milestone in Philippine medical history recently by completing its 200th single team of care TAVR procedure. TAVR is a minimally invasive surgery that replaces a diseased aortic valve with a man-made one using catheters, without opening the chest, without a heart-lung machine or general anesthesia . This landmark heart operation is an important step in the advancement of new and advanced minimally invasive techniques designed to improve the lives of Filipinos suffering from aortic valve disease. It symbolizes clinical excellence and medical innovation as it sets standards for the introduction of new and advanced therapies into the country’s medical delivery services. The TAVR’s quality controlled outcomes of care are at par with those reported by leading international institutions. Leading this historical operation was Dr. Fabio Enrique Posas, a pioneer in the … [Read more...] about St. Luke’s TAVR treatment reaches milestone in PH medical history