Bank lending likely to pick up by 2nd half of 2021
SLUGGISH BANK LENDING is expected to continue in the next few months, with improvements likely seen by late 2021 if the pandemic-related restrictions are further eased in the Philippines, according to analysts from credit rating firms.
ARTA aims for record Doing Business score
THE ANTI-RED TAPE Authority (ARTA) is aiming to reach the Philippines’ highest score yet in the next global Doing Business report, its top official said.
NLEX toll fees to increase on May 18
MOTORISTS USING the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will pay higher toll fees starting Tuesday (May 18), the tollway operator said over the weekend.
Philippines adjusts tariff rates for rice, pork
President Rodrigo R. Duterte approved the recommendation of his economic managers to temporarily adjust tariffs on imported rice and pork products for a year,...
Dollar reserves hit 3-month high as of end-April
By Luz Wendy T. Noble, Reporter
The country’s dollar reserves reached $107.25 billion as of end-April, backed by proceeds from the bond issuances of the national government and higher valuation...
German firms maintain dim outlook on Philippine economy
More than 40% of surveyed German firms in the Philippines will have little to no changes in local investments over the next year as...
6 Philippine firms join Forbes Global 2000 list
Six Philippine firms have again made it into the latest Forbes Global 2000 list ranking the world’s top public companies.
P75B needed for expanded vaccination
THE government might need to spend P75 billion more until next year to fund its expanded coronavirus vaccination program, the Finance chief said on Thursday.
Filipino coronavirus patients endure more pain amid drug dearth
IT TOOK Nikko Lae D. Abdon, 30, nearly a week to find medicines for her 66-year-old uncle, who got admitted in an intensive care unit room at the San Lazaro Hospital in the Philippine capital.
Debt service seen to be a ‘greater burden’ for PHL
DEBT SERVICE will likely become a “greater burden” for many emerging economies, including the Philippines, as overall spending will stay high and state revenues remain under pressure, the Institute of International Finance (IIF) said.
Remittance inflows likely to pick up ‘modestly’ this year
THE PHILIPPINES received more than $35 billion in remittances in 2020 — the second biggest in the East Asia and Pacific region last year despite the global health crisis, according to the World Bank.
BSP maintains key rate at record low
THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) held its key interest rate at a record low for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as it continues to support the economy’s recovery from the pandemic.