Weaving fabric in Laos. ( Photo: Napong Restaurant)
The U.S. Embassy in Vientiane and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce hosted a workshop on Tuesday to promote protections for creative professionals in Laos and facilitate collaboration among creatives.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – MGC Marine and Chartered (ASIA) Company Limited, under the Millennium Group Corporation (ASIA) PCL (MGC-ASIA), reached another milestone as Chris-Craft Corporation, a legendary American boat builder with a rich heritage since 1874, appointed it exclusive authorized retailer for Chris-Craft boats in Thailand and the ASEAN region. MGC Marine celebrated with the grand opening of a Chris-Craft showroom and service center at Riverdale Marina, just north of Bangkok.
New Chris-Craft showroom and service center at Riverdale Marina near Bangkok, Thailand.
Mr. Stephen F. Heese, President and CEO of Chris-Craft Corporation, said, “For over 149 years, Chris-Craft has offered a high level of craftsmanship and true luxury, becoming an American icon. MGC Marine’s expertise in the luxury segment will help Chris-Craft expand in Thailand and the ASEAN region, a fast-growing market for recreational marine activities. Our quality boats combined with MGC Marine’s Lifestyle Mobility Ecosystem will elevate Chris-Craft into a leading brand in Thailand and ASEAN.”
New Chris-Craft showroom and service center at Riverdale Marina near Bangkok, Thailand, with Calypso 24 (top) and Catalina 24 (bottom) models on display.
Dr. Sunhavut Thamchuanviriya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Group Corporation (ASIA) PCL, stated, “The global marine market’s CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is currently about 7%, with Asia-Pacific ranking third. The recreational boat market is growing significantly, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic made people’s lifestyles more focused on privacy.”
MGC-ASIA’s business ecosystem and expertise in customer service, plus partners such as Riverdale Marina in Pathumthani and Ocean Marina in Pattaya, play an important role in the recreational boating industry. With MGC-ASIA’s Lifestyle Mobility System, the company is ready to become a leader in Thailand and ASEAN.
Chris-Craft ‘Launch 27’ model on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand
Mr. Bjorn Antonsson, Director of Marine International Business, Millennium Group Corporation (ASIA) PCL, said, “We plan to expand in ASEAN, a fast-growing market with more than 700 million people, 170,000 kilometers of coastline, and many important waterways, and we are looking for interested dealers across the region. Our Chris-Craft showroom and service center is at Riverdale Marina on the Chao Phraya River, with a Marine Training Center following soon. I’m proud that Chris-Craft has appointed us their exclusive authorized retailer for Thailand and ASEAN.”
Chris-Craft Thailand is launching with the ‘Launch Series,’ the ‘Calypso Series,’ and the ‘Catalina Series’ of recreational boats. The new Chris-Craft showroom displays up to six boats and features cozy lounges plus an open-air ‘Sunset Balcony’ that offers a breathtaking view. Aftersales service is provided at a fully equipped Chris-Craft Service Center, with professional team members also trained by Mercury Marine Singapore. Chris-Craft owners will enjoy a full range of personal services, with professional marina staff on hand to launch and retrieve their boats, followed by a thorough cleaning before they are securely stored at the dry dock.
From left: Mr. Stephen F. Heese, President and CEO of Chris-Craft Corporation; Dr. Sunhavut Thamchuanviriya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Millennium Group Corporation (ASIA) PCL; and Mr. Bjorn Antonsson, Director of Marine International Business, Millennium Group Corporation (ASIA) PCL.
Riverdale Marina and Marina Plaza offer full services for various marine activities. Customers from Thailand and throughout ASEAN can enjoy unique experiences such as marine tourism, plus a hotel, golf course, luxury housing estate, shopping center, and large open space for hosting outdoor events.
Chris-Craft Thailand, under the management of MGC Marine and Charter (ASIA) Company Limited offers a complete ‘Boat Ownership Program’ package including aftersales service and comprehensive maintenance, along with ‘Alpha X’ as a professional financial advisor and boat insurance by ‘Howden Maxi.’
For more information, contact Chris-Craft Thailand: +662-430-6688
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – Almost half of Taiwanese small businesses expect to grow in 2023. Digitalisation is likely to be the catalyst for their growth, according to CPA Australia’s Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey.
CPA Australia surveyed 4,280 small business owners or managers across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including 313 respondents based in Taiwan. The survey results show many Taiwanese small businesses are adopting a cautious wait-and-see strategy. With only 39 per cent of small businesses expecting the local economy to grow this year, it’s prudent that many may be limiting their expansion and investment plans.
The survey results show this careful approach. Forty-eight per cent of businesses expect to grow this year, below the survey average of 66 per cent. Of businesses expecting to access finance in 2023, only 45 per cent said they will do so to fund growth.
Anticipation on revenue from overseas sales slightly improved, with 36 per cent expecting to grow this year.
Four-in-10 Taiwanese small businesses grew last year despite strong headwinds. Usage of e-commerce and digital payment technologies both registered improvements and rose to a record high in Taiwan.
“Taiwanese small businesses have experienced many challenges since 2020,” Mr Elic Lam FCPA (Aust.) Honorary Taiwan Adviser at CPA Australia said. “Chief among those was COVID-19. Most small businesses took action in response, including reducing capital expenditure, seeking government support and turning to online sales.”
Taiwanese small businesses made steady progress on digital transformation. In 2022, 52 per cent generated more than 10 per cent of their revenue from online sales and through digital payment options such as LINEpay and Apple Pay. Both results are a record high for Taiwan. Fifty-eight per cent plan to introduce new products, services or processes this year.
“Customer behaviour worldwide has changed due to the pandemic. This may turn out to be a major catalyst to drive small businesses’ digital transformation, such as selling and communicating with customers online.
“Taiwanese small businesses should further embrace digital transformation as this is a key characteristic of high growth businesses. To do so, they should consider seeking professional advice to identify and invest in the most suitable technologies, outsource IT solutions to trusted vendors, build the technology capabilities of employees or engage in strategic alliances with technology-focused companies.
“The Executive Yuan recently proposed a new plan to raise the overall competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. Small businesses should make full use of the plan’s measures to transition their business model into one that is digitalised, innovative and low-carbon.
“From surveying nearly 40,000 small businesses across 11 Asia-Pacific markets since 2009, we have identified the key characteristics of successful small businesses. These high-growth businesses are more sophisticated at adopting technologies and e-commerce, improving customer’s satisfaction, innovating, and expanding overseas sales.
“I believe small businesses in Taiwan that possess these characteristics are likely to recover quickly and be well positioned for growth this year.”
Over three-fifths of small businesses in Taiwan spent time and resources on ESG practices last year. Many of them focused on staff health and safety, and business diversity and inclusion policies.
“It makes sense that Taiwanese small businesses are prioritising employee health and safety. Small businesses should also make use of government initiatives to establish a low-carbon mindset and identify areas to transform. For example, reviewing their supply chain sustainability and reducing energy and water use to lower long-term operating costs.
“With the reopening of borders, relaxation of travel restrictions and the reshaping of global supply chains, I’m confident that many Taiwanese small businesses will bounce back this year.” Hashtag: #CPAAustralia #SME #Business #Economics
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About CPA Australia
CPA Australia is one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world, with more than 172,000 members in over 100 countries and regions, including more than 22,200 members in Greater China. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. Find out more at cpaaustralia.com.au
Leverage IoT and mobile app to facilitate self-service operations for property management
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – NineSmart Limited is proud to announce the launch of Smart Residence, a contactless access and facilities booking solution for residential buildings under NineSmart Solutions (NSS). With the rising demand for property technology (PropTech), NineSmart is committed to becoming a prominent solution provider in the market with advanced IoT technology.
Smart Residence is a brand-new IoT solution that connects commonly used residential amenities with cloud, which allows residents to control and reserve these facilities by a mobile app through Bluetooth or network.
Kiosks with smart intercom system at building entrances
Doors in public areas including lobbies or clubhouses
Mailboxes or lockers
Elevators
Self-serve kiosks at clubhouse for booking and e-payment
In addition to enabling two-way video and audio communications between kiosks and smartphones, the Smart Residence app allows residents to generate temporary QR codes for their visitors, which eliminates onsite verification procedures by building guards.
“We see immense potential in PropTech, and we are investing significant resources in developing cutting-edge solutions,” says Ryan Ip, Co-founder of NineSmart. “Our goal is to leverage the power of IoT and cloud technology to streamline access management for business premises and property management.”
“Many decision makers struggle with the adoption of IoT technologies and require a vendor who can provide robust software development capabilities, along with suitable hardware and installation services.” Lucas Mo, Co-founder of NineSmart, emphasizes that Smart Residence fills a crucial gap in the PropTech market in Hong Kong.
To showcase the latest advancements in PropTech, NineSmart has participated in the prestigious IT event InnoEX in April, and will be exhibiting in the upcoming International Property Management & Procurement Expo (PropEx) in August. Onsite demonstrations will be displayed to present how to infuse IoT technology into business and property management.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About NineSmart
NineSmart, one of the brands under technine, is a pioneering property technology (PropTech) company devoted to transforming the way people interact with their business or living spaces through using IoT technologies. Our NineSmart Solutions streamline access management, enable self-service operational models, and provide data remote management through our self-developed IoT Hub with well-designed system architecture.
About NineSmart Solutions (NSS)
NSS is a suite of prebuilt IoT solutions that suggest ways to streamline processes and reduce human effort for businesses that serve numerous visitors in order to achieve self-service operations.
Smart Access: a cloud-based QR code access control solution
Smart Booking: a web-based facilities booking solution
Smart Event: an RSVP and participants’ data management solution
Smart Residence: a contactless access and booking solution for residential buildings
Kaipen, produced by two Kaipen Community Business Groups in Nambak District, Luang Prabang, has been certified with the prestigious ODOP (One District One Product) certification by the government of Laos.
HONG KONG SAR and SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 26 April 2023 – Arta TechFin (“ARTA”, HKSE: 0279), a hybrid fintech platform bridging traditional financial assets and digital assets (“DA”), partners with Enhanced Digital Group UK Limited (“EDG UK”), a leading provider of digital asset (DA) structured derivative solutions to distribute digital asset structured products in Hong Kong exclusively.
This partnership with EDG UK enables ARTA clients to access digital markets in traditional USD structured note formats. ARTA will be able to offer clients a variety of return scenarios, including asymmetric strategies and capital protected structures. In addition to the EDG UK partnership, having partnership networks in New York, Singapore and Zurich, ARTA offers a one-stop global solution in over-the-counter structured products and exchange-traded derivative products listed in Chicago and Hong Kong.
“We are thrilled to partner with EDG UK to develop a global digital asset financial ecosystem. EDG UK and other partners bring in global liquidity and cutting edge product choices to meet our client demands for tailor-made digital asset solutions in traditional USD formats.” said Eddie Lau, Chief Executive Officer of Arta TechFin.
Meanwhile ARTA is looking to set up ASEAN headquarter in Singapore to strengthen its distribution channel and client coverage, and obtain Capital Market Services (CMS) licenses in Singapore. ARTA considers that its physical presence and local licensed partners will further strengthen ARTA’s existing regional coverage in security tokenization and digital asset investments.
In mid-February, ARTA announced a strategic partnership with OSL, the digital asset business division of BC Technology Group (HKSE: 0863), to create an end-to-end virtual asset financial service ecosystem, including origination of asset-backed security tokens, secondary trading of physically-settled and cash-settled DA spot and derivatives, and custody of OTC and exchange-traded DA.
Hashtag: #ArtaTechFin
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Arta TechFin Corporation Limited
Arta TechFin is a hybrid financial (HyFi) platform bridging traditional finance with blockchain-based financial system via technology innovations. Our regulated one-stop solution enables corporates, financial institutions, and family offices to access traditional assets and digital assets.
ARTA, through its various subsidiaries, are licensed under Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. Other licenses include Hong Kong Stock Exchange participant, insurance brokerage license, trustee license and money lending license in Hong Kong as well as Eurex participant in Germany.
Enhanced Digital Group UK is a subsidiary of Enhanced Digital Group Inc. (‘EDG’), a US based derivatives counterparty. EDG provides derivative solutions to institutional investors and offers hedging solutions through principal derivatives trades.
EDG UK is an appointed representative of Sapia Partners LLP, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Young footballers Mazda Laos GB FC celebrated their trophy in Thailand on Saturday.
Young footballers from Mazda Laos GB FC have brought home a trophy from the SAT NSDF Thailand Championship 2023, after participating and winning in their football competition for children.
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Smart Access: a cloud-based QR code access control solution 
ir@artatechfin.com. 
