RBF Newshttps://rbfnews.comFinance, economy, entrepreneurship, business and charity.enSingapore grows 5.4% as manufacturing momentum easeshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-third-quarter-growth-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-third-quarter-growth-2026/Advance third-quarter estimates show continued expansion, with a pullback in manufacturing from the previous quarter.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTChina’s factory PMI returns to expansion, but smaller firms laghttps://rbfnews.com/articles/china-manufacturing-pmi-september-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/china-manufacturing-pmi-september-2026/The September survey rose to 50.1, while employment and smaller-enterprise readings remained below the threshold.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTIndia’s UPI scale puts payment security at the centre of inclusionhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/india-upi-adoption-security-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-upi-adoption-security-2026/A Finance Ministry disclosure records 554.9 million onboarded users and outlines safeguards for the digital payments network.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTBank of Japan’s September decision highlights an inflation balancing acthttps://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-boj-september-rate-inflation-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-boj-september-rate-inflation-2026/The policy rate moved to around 1.25%, while published opinions reveal disagreement over the strength of domestic demand.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTAustralia sheds 39,300 jobs as September labour data softenhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-september-employment-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-september-employment-2026/Part-time employment fell, while the statistics bureau urges caution over monthly volatility and survey changes.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTIndonesia holds its policy rate while expanding currency hedging incentiveshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-september-policy-stability-growth-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-september-policy-stability-growth-2026/Bank Indonesia combines a 5.75% rate with measures aimed at capital inflows, lending and digital payments.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTViet Nam secures $666.74 million for trade links and coastal livelihoodshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-trade-corridors-fisheries-world-bank-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-trade-corridors-fisheries-world-bank-2026/Three World Bank-backed projects target Hai Phong transport, Mekong roads and sustainable fisheries.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTMalaysia’s advance GDP estimate shows 5.3% third-quarter growthhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-third-quarter-advance-gdp-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-third-quarter-advance-gdp-2026/The early estimate points to continued expansion, with a fuller GDP release scheduled for November.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTAsia-Pacific aid groups put early action at the centre of disaster fundinghttps://rbfnews.com/articles/asia-pacific-charity-disaster-readiness-2026/https://rbfnews.com/articles/asia-pacific-charity-disaster-readiness-2026/IFRC’s preparedness programme and El Niño warning highlight the economic value of protecting livelihoods before emergencies deepen.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTAsia’s small-business challenge reaches beyond access to loanshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/asia-small-business-finance-productivity/https://rbfnews.com/articles/asia-small-business-finance-productivity/ADB’s 2025 enterprise monitor connects finance with innovation, manufacturing and the resilience of everyday businesses.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:50:00 GMTFiji inflation reaches 7.6% as Reserve Bank holds policy ratehttps://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-inflation-rbf-policy-rate/https://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-inflation-rbf-policy-rate/A September policy decision highlights the balancing act between price pressures and economic growth.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTFiji’s next green finance challenge: turning policy into investmenthttps://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-green-finance-investment/https://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-green-finance-investment/Stronger data and a pipeline of eligible projects are central to moving sustainable finance from frameworks to funding.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTReserve Bank of Fiji announces $118 million government transferhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/reserve-bank-fiji-profit-transfer/https://rbfnews.com/articles/reserve-bank-fiji-profit-transfer/The transfer follows a reported $120.6 million profit for the financial year ended in July.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTFiji investor education event puts financial scams in focushttps://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-financial-literacy-scams/https://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-financial-literacy-scams/A World Investor Week event in Suva draws attention to fraudulent investment schemes and digital impersonation.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTNew guidelines set out how Fiji’s green finance taxonomy workshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-green-finance-user-guidelines/https://rbfnews.com/articles/fiji-green-finance-user-guidelines/The Reserve Bank’s September guidance explains how financial institutions can assess eligible sustainable investments.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTFor founders, cash flow tells a different story from profithttps://rbfnews.com/articles/founder-cash-flow-basics/https://rbfnews.com/articles/founder-cash-flow-basics/A practical guide to the timing of cash, working capital and the questions to ask before expanding.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTBeyond the donation: the questions that make giving more informedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/charity-impact-questions/https://rbfnews.com/articles/charity-impact-questions/Look at an organisation’s purpose, reporting and results to understand how a donation can support its work.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTWhat a balance sheet can tell you about a businesshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/reading-business-balance-sheet/https://rbfnews.com/articles/reading-business-balance-sheet/Assets, liabilities and equity provide a snapshot. The more revealing questions often concern what has changed.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMTSingapore’s port handled a record 41.12 million containers in 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-port-record-throughput-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-port-record-throughput-2024/A January 2025 maritime review recorded rising cargo volumes, fuel sales and maritime business spending.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTSingapore launched a global fintech network in October 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-global-finance-technology-network-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-global-finance-technology-network-2024/The MAS initiative combined international forums, advisory work, digital platforms and investment ambitions.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTChina’s initial 2024 GDP estimate showed 5% growthhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/china-gdp-growth-five-percent-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/china-gdp-growth-five-percent-2024/The January 2025 release showed stronger fourth-quarter growth alongside continuing property-sector weakness.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTChina’s new-energy vehicle sales rose 29.4% in January 2025https://rbfnews.com/articles/china-new-energy-vehicle-sales-january-2025/https://rbfnews.com/articles/china-new-energy-vehicle-sales-january-2025/Electrified vehicles gained share even as the overall automobile market slipped slightly from a year earlier.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTIndia’s UPI processed 16.73 billion payments in December 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-upi-december-payment-record-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-upi-december-payment-record-2024/Government figures documented rapid payment-system growth, with annual UPI volume reaching about 172 billion transactions.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTIndia counted more than 159,000 recognised startups in January 2025https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-startup-recognition-nine-years-2025/https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-startup-recognition-nine-years-2025/The government’s nine-year review highlighted jobs, women directors and the spread of entrepreneurship beyond major cities.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTJapan ended its negative-rate framework in March 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-bank-ends-negative-rate-framework-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-bank-ends-negative-rate-framework-2024/The Bank of Japan shifted to a short-term rate target while retaining support through government bond purchases.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTJapan recorded 36.87 million visitor arrivals in 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-visitor-arrivals-tourism-record-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-visitor-arrivals-tourism-record-2024/January 2025 tourism estimates showed arrivals above both 2023 and the pre-pandemic 2019 benchmark.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTAustralia’s February 2025 rate cut followed progress on inflationhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-february-2025-rate-cut/https://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-february-2025-rate-cut/The RBA lowered its cash rate target to 4.10%, while remaining cautious about further easing.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTAustralia’s economy gained 0.6% in the final quarter of 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-december-2024-gdp-rebound/https://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-december-2024-gdp-rebound/The March 2025 ABS release showed public and private spending supporting growth.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTIndonesia recorded 5.03% growth in 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-2024-gdp-five-percent/https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-2024-gdp-five-percent/The February 2025 statistics release showed stable expansion and a large economic contribution from Java.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTBank Indonesia cut its policy rate to 6% in September 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-september-2024-interest-rate-cut/https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-september-2024-interest-rate-cut/The central bank paired monetary easing with support for lending, small businesses and digital payments.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTVietnam’s southern waterways secured US$107 million financing in 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-2024-waterways-financing/https://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-2024-waterways-financing/The World Bank-backed project targeted freight efficiency, safer navigation and lower transport emissions.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTVietnam’s 2023 recovery credit linked business support and green reformhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-2023-green-digital-recovery-credit/https://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-2023-green-digital-recovery-credit/A US$263.9 million World Bank operation supported tax, childcare, digital services and energy reforms.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTMalaysia’s 2024 expansion reached 5.1% as investment strengthenedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-2024-gdp-investment-growth/https://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-2024-gdp-investment-growth/The February 2025 release showed construction and capital spending supporting a stronger annual result.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTGoogle announced US$2 billion Malaysia investment in May 2024https://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-google-2024-data-centre-investment/https://rbfnews.com/articles/malaysia-google-2024-data-centre-investment/The plan combined a first Malaysian data centre and cloud region with AI education programmes.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTSingapore community groups gain a new route to matched fundinghttps://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-ground-up-community-funding-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/singapore-ground-up-community-funding-2024/Temasek Foundation’s 2024 plans paired practical financial tools with support for local community projects.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTUNICEF mobilised water supplies after Typhoon Yagi hit Vietnamhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-unicef-yagi-water-relief-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/vietnam-unicef-yagi-water-relief-2024/The September 2024 response prioritised safe water for hospitals, households and schools in northern provinces.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTAustralian Red Cross reported resilient giving as household budgets tightenedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-red-cross-charitable-giving-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/australia-red-cross-charitable-giving-2024/Its June 2024 release showed continued donations alongside a fall in giving compared with an earlier period.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTIndonesian women entrepreneurs built online sales skills through JICA projecthttps://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-women-online-enterprise-training-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/indonesia-women-online-enterprise-training-2024/A three-year partnership combined digital marketing, business training and individual mentoring for small enterprises.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTIndia approved a 1,000-crore-rupee venture fund for space startupshttps://rbfnews.com/articles/india-space-startup-venture-fund-2024/https://rbfnews.com/articles/india-space-startup-venture-fund-2024/The October 2024 Cabinet decision aimed to supply risk capital to companies across the space industry.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTJapan selected 30 ventures for its new impact-startup programmehttps://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-j-startup-impact-programme-2023/https://rbfnews.com/articles/japan-j-startup-impact-programme-2023/J-Startup Impact combined commercial growth support with help measuring social and environmental outcomes.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 02:10:00 GMTThailand's economy, explainedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-economy-explained/https://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-economy-explained/One of Southeast Asia's largest economies runs on manufacturing, tourism and agriculture. A plain guide to how it fits together and the challenges ahead.Thu, 18 Apr 2024 02:00:00 GMTWhy tourism matters so much to Thailand's economyhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-tourism-economy/https://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-tourism-economy/Tourism is one of the pillars of the Thai economy, supporting millions of livelihoods. Here is how it works, why it is powerful and where it is vulnerable.Tue, 22 Oct 2024 02:00:00 GMTThailand as a manufacturing and export hub, explainedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-manufacturing-export-base/https://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-manufacturing-export-base/Sometimes called the 'Detroit of Asia', Thailand is a major base for carmaking, electronics and exports. A guide to how it got there and what comes next.Tue, 11 Mar 2025 02:00:00 GMTSmall businesses and access to finance in Thailandhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-small-business-finance/https://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-small-business-finance/Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of Thai employment. A practical look at the financing hurdles they face and the tools now changing the picture.Tue, 02 Sep 2025 02:00:00 GMTThailand's financial system and the Bank of Thailand, explainedhttps://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-financial-system-explained/https://rbfnews.com/articles/thailand-financial-system-explained/From the central bank's role to a popular instant-payment network and the question of household debt, a guide to how money works in Thailand.Wed, 27 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT