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Laos National Assembly to Find Solutions to Economic Problems at Upcoming Session

New National Assembly Building

The Third Ordinary Session of the National Assembly (Ninth Legislature) of Laos will be opened on 13 June and will last through 8 July, Secretary of the National Assembly Pingkham Lasasima has told the media.

Officials in Vietnam Connected to Covid Scams 

Vietnam’s Covid-19 test kits and repatriation flights, which cost flyers exorbitant amounts of money during an already difficult time, were reportedly earning profits for corrupt officials. 

Sino Jet Announces Carbon Neutrality Plan

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 5 June 2022 – On World Environment Day, 5th June 2022, Chinese business jet company Sino Jet announced its carbon neutrality goal. Sino Jet plans to align with the aviation industry emission contribution target, utilise the company’s technological advantages, to achieve carbon neutrality in its self-own fleet, ground support businesses and office operations in 2025. And by 2025, Sino Jet aims to drive more than 20% of its managed aircraft to achieve carbon neutrality in flight operations, and ultimately achieve carbon neutrality in the entire Sino Jet Group in 2035.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions has been a key subject in global sustainable development. “To reach carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060” is China’s solemn commitment to the international community. Sino Jet promptly responds to the nation’s calling for the carbon goals, is one of the first companies in the business jet sector to strategise a “green aviation” development. Sino Jet was the first in China to operate a “carbon neutral” business jet flight on April 22 this year, promoting more research and inspiring the industry to explore and develop in carbon emission reduction.

In accordance with ISO 14064-1 and with reference to the “Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard” set out by the World Resources Institute, Sino Jet conducted a comprehensive investigation and quantification of the company’s carbon emissions base on its operations in 2021. The investigation scope widely covered aircraft trading, aircraft management, charter flights, ground handling services and fixed-base operator (FBO) management. The total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the chain of business jet services provided by Sino Jet was found to be 31,612.14 tons, of which Scope 1 emissions (including aviation fuel burn, gas burn, coolant, extinguisher) accounted for 28,282.48 tons and Scope 2 emissions (including purchased electricity and heating) accounted for 345.15 tons and Scope 3 indirect emissions (including commuting, travel, consumables, and waste disposal) accounted for 2,984.49 tons.

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On the basis of the findings of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions investigation, Sino Jet has formulated a scientific path to achieve its carbon neutrality goal, and plans to follow the proposition of “focus on energy conservation and emission reduction, then supplement by carbon offsets”, to improve existing green practices by digitalisation, sustainable energy applications, green office buildings, green transportation, green supply chain and carbon offset. From these six aspects, Sino Jet aims to achieve its carbon neutrality goals as scheduled.

To expediate the accomplishment of carbon neutrality, Sino Jet’s primary goal is to achieve neutrality in operating its self-own aircraft. Sino Jet has already begun with the development of a carbon management system that is suitable for business jet operations, fully integrable with its information management system, to create a quantifiable, traceable green aircraft operation and to achieve neutrality its self-own fleet operations, ground services, and office operations in 2025. In terms of carbon emission per capita within the company, Sino Jet targets a 20% reduction in 2035 and a 40% reduction in 2050.

Sino Jet also seeks to drive more than 20% of its managed fleet to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025, and to achieve carbon neutrality in its entire business including aircraft management by 2035. Sino Jet also plans to incentivise green carbon neutral flight options to encourage its business partners and clients to join its carbon reduction journey.

Looking at Sino Jet’s carbon emissions data in 2021, fuel burn was identified as the major source of emissions, and aviation fuel accounted for 88.53%. Naturally, acquiring efficient business jets, enhancing fuel utilization efficiency and construct green aviation system are key steps for Sino Jet to achieve carbon neutrality.

Currently, very few airports in the world supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and most of these airports are located in Europe and North America. Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) sets out a roadmap for green development in January 2022 to seek green and low-carbon development. China plans to significantly increase the use of SAF in 2030. In light of this roadmap, Sino Jet has reached an agreement with China National Aviation Fuel Group Limited (CNAF) to be the pilot client for SAF at all domestic airport. Sino Jet also pledges to opt for SAF wherever possible.

Sino Jet understands that working to achieve carbon neutrality is corporate social responsibility. Sino Jet’s goal does not stop at achieving carbon neutrality itself, but to also encourage other stakeholders, including aircraft manufacturers, fuel suppliers, airports, ground transportation companies to jointly explore more innovative ways to reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy, to develop sustainably, to help traditional industries evolve and most importantly to combat global warming.

About Sino Jet

Sino Jet, founded in 2011, it specializes the management and operation of large business jets. Its business ranges from aircraft trading, aircraft maintenance, global charter services, ground handling, fixed based operator (FBO), to luxurious travel services and more. Sino Jet is fully committed to the concept of the complete life cycle management of its aircraft and it is also the first business jet company in mainland China to obtain the highest level of safety recognition for international business jet operations – IS-BAO level 3 certification. Furthermore, Sino Jet has been named “The World’s Leading Business Jet Company” at the World Travel Awards in 2020 and 2021.

Sino Jet has dual headquarters in Beijing and Hong Kong. The company is also rapidly expanding in Mainland China with bases in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Zhuhai, Chengdu and Singapore etc.

#sinojet #carbonneutral #CarbonNeutrality #GreenAviation #AviationSustainability #SAF

Thousands of Lao Nationals Illegally Employed in Malaysia 

Approximately 2,000 Lao workers are unregistered and working illegally in Malaysia.

Officials Filmed Drinking with Minors Causes Uproar on Social Media

Petanque

Police officials in Xieng Khouang Province appeared in a video drinking alcohol with two young female students believed to be under 18 years old.

Apical Wins Five Awards at the Sustainable Business Awards Indonesia 2020/2021

-Apical Wins Top Honours in ‘Land Use and Biodiversity’ and ‘Stakeholder Management’-

JAKARTA, INDONESIA Media OutReach3 June 2022 – Apical Group, a leading global vegetable oils processor, won five awards at the 2020/2021 Sustainable Business Awards (SBA) Indonesia. Held virtually, the awards were presented in the presence of His Excellency Minister of National Development Planning, Dr. Suharso Monoarfa.

Apical was the top achiever in two categories, namely “Land Use and Biodiversity” and “Stakeholder Management”, with recognition of Significant Achievements in three categories: “Sustainability Strategy”, “Supply Chain Management” and “Business Ethics & Responsibility”.

The SBA honours companies that demonstrate remarkable performance in environmental and social sustainability, showcasing their successes and offering best practices that others can emulate. Global Initiatives organised the SBA in partnership with PwC Indonesia, Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development, World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This is the second consecutive year Apical has participated and won an award at the SBA.

This win reflects Apical’s commitment to best environmental, social and governance practices in order to build a transparent, traceable and sustainable supply chain. “Sustainability is integral to and at the heart of our operations. In an effort to build a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem, Apical leverages technology and collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders. We are honoured to be recognised by Global Initiatives in five award categories. We will continue to accelerate our sustainability journey through Apical2030,” said Bremen Yong Kin Kong, Director of Sustainability, Apical.

In the years of participating in the awards, Apical has successfully implemented and executed a number of initiatives to enhance traceability, ensure NDPE compliance and embed sustainable practices across the supply chain. On the journey to achieve this aim, Apical partnered with several agencies to design and develop programmes. For instance, Apical collaborated with Proforest, Daemeter and Earthworm Foundation on a number of initiatives comprising robust traceability and sustainability solutions to provide updated market insights and training on industry best practices to enhance management on high conservation value (HCV) and high carbon stock (HCS) areas, labour rights, verification and minimum living wages.

In 2020, Apical launched the SMallholder Inclusion for better Livelihood & Empowerment (SMILE) Programme. SMILE is a joint programme with Apical’s partner along the supply chain and smallholder association involving 5,000 independent smallholders, to help them improve yields and obtain sustainability certification.

With the aim of delivering impact beyond compliance, as well as to evolve with the global environmental and social challenges, Apical has developed and launched their sustainability roadmap, Apical2030. Apical2030 will drive their sustainability commitment by driving transformative changes in the palm oil sector and guiding decisions and actions with to achieve sustainable growth and value creation for all stakeholders, all while protecting the planet.

For companies committed to sustainable growth, winning the SBA is a significant achievement as it serves as a testament to the winners’ work etiquette and commitment to implement and achieve sustainability-driven targets, and exemplifies companies who have truly integrated sustainability in their long-term business. The awards aim to inspire all businesses to understand that it’s a shared responsibility among all in contributing to positive environmental and social factors, Chief Operations Officer of Global Initiatives, Shefali Chaddha, said.

Global Initiatives uses a state-of-the-art process developed by an international team with over 15 years’ experience in a wide range of business awards, benchmarking and metrics. Once the responses have been submitted, they are assessed and scored jointly by Global Initiatives and the respective local PwC offices using a scoring framework and converted into quantitative scores.

Note to editors:

More comprehensive information on the Sustainability Business Awards is available at https://sustainablebusinessawards.com/countries/sba-indonesia/.

About Apical Group

Apical Group is a leading vegetable oils processor with an expanding global footprint. Apical’s vertically integrated mid-stream refining, downstream processing capabilities and capacity makes Apical an integral supplier that supports the food, feed and fuel needs across industries. Its business includes downstream processing into functional and specialty fats, oleochemicals and biodiesel among others, for domestic use and international export. Its operations are located in Indonesia, China and Spain, and include eight refineries, four biodiesel plants, four oleochemical plants and three kernel crushing plants. Through its joint ventures, Apical also has processing and distribution operations in India, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brazil, Dubai and USA.

Apical’s business is built on an extensive sourcing network in Indonesia with integrated refinery assets in strategic locations. This is reinforced by efficient logistics channels supported by Apical’s own infrastructure to deliver to local and international industrial clients comprising of food, feed and fuel brands among others. With its unique business model, Apical has been able to control product quality and address sustainability and food safety concerns, while running highly efficient operations in integrated world-class refineries and downstream processes.

For more information, please visit

#Apical

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

XLD Launches xSpend in Malaysia, allows users to spend Crypto Assets for Utilities

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 3 June 2022 – XLD Finance, a stablecoin-based ecosystem that drives financial inclusion through real-world financial services, has announced the launch of its xSpend platform in Malaysia today, which allows play-to-earn users to directly spend their GameFi tokens and stablecoins to pay over 350 billers and utilities.

With xSpend finally available to the Malaysian market after making its debut in countries such as Philippines, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Company also announces its newest offering, the Solana feature which allow users to connect their Phantom wallet with saved biller details for easier and faster transactions through the Solana network.

“With the launch of xSpend in Malaysia, we are excited to help solve a problem that crypto users in the country encounter, which is the difficulty of spending crypto”, said Ian Estrada, Chief Executive Officer of XLD Finance. “Hence, we are thrilled to enable users to spend cryptocurrency assets directly for real-life necessities via a secure platform”.

To celebrate this milestone, XLD is giving away up to $2,500 (approximately RM 10,920) worth of prizes in its introductory promos for first-time Malaysian xSpend users and all Solana wallet holders.

Users can transact with USD Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), DAI, Axie Infinity Shards(AXS), Smooth Love Potion (SLP), Binance Coin (BNB), MATIC, YGG Token, Terra USD (UST), Pegaxy Stone (PGX), Vigorous (VIS), and Cyblock Battery Token (CBT) with a variety of utilities and mobile networks in Malaysia.

Some notable billers in Malaysia include Astro, Indah Water Konsortium, Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Telecom, and Majlis Amanah Rakyat as well as telecommunications companies such as Maxis, Digi, Celcom and U Mobile, and others.

Visit https://xspend.finance for more information and the full list of billers.

About XLD Finance

XLD Finance is a stablecoin-based ecosystem driving financial inclusion through real-world financial services. Headquartered in the Philippines, the Company’s roadmap includes the development of both Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 projects such as its own stablecoin, a DeFi wallet, early wage access, and a simplified crypto onramp & offramp platform for crypto natives and the financially underserved. Its flagship project, xSpend platform is available to users in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

For more information, visit: | | | | | | | |

#XLDFinance

NTUC LearningHub To Innovate And Grow Under New Leadership Team

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 June 2022 NTUC LearningHub (NTUC LHUB), Singapore’s leading Continuing Education and Training provider, announced today that former labour chief Mr Lim Swee Say will assume the role of Chairman to lead NTUC LHUB’s ongoing initiatives in upskilling and uplifting the Singapore workforce.

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Mr Lim will succeed Mr Eugene Wong, whose role as the previous Chairman had been pivotal in NTUC LHUB’s business continuity and growth during the period of leadership transition after the sudden passing of the company’s late CEO Kwek Kok Kwong in 2020. Under Mr Wong’s leadership and guidance, NTUC LHUB achieved a record of over 520,000 training places in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic to help workers tide through this challenging period. He also led NTUC LHUB in several key initiatives during the circuit breaker period in 2020, most notably augmenting the company’s training capabilities to support the Enhanced Training Support Package (ETSP) and SGUnited Skills (SGUS) programme. Mr Wong will continue to serve NTUC LHUB in his new appointment as Deputy Chairman.

Mr Lim is currently a trustee and Advisor of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and Chairman of the NTUC-Administration & Research Unit Board of Trustees. He continues to be an Advisor to NTUC Enterprise Co-operative Ltd and the Deputy Chairman of the Singapore Labour Foundation.

As a strong advocate for workers’ training and skills upgrading, Mr Lim through the years as an active tripartite leader, has always applied his mind wholeheartedly in search of ways to help workers stay employable.

His past work at NTUC includes initiating the Skills Redevelopment Programme in 1996 to equip workers with transferable and certifiable skills to help them transit into new jobs and sectors, as well as the establishment of the Employment and Employable Institute (e2i) in 2008 to help workers upgrade their skills and secure jobs amid the Global Financial Crisis. Mr Lim also drove the NTUC-initiated Progressive Wage Model in 2012, to help low-wage workers progress up the skills, career, productivity and wage ladder in a mutually reinforcing manner.

In addition, during his appointment as Minister for Manpower, Mr Lim oversaw the expansion of the Professional Conversion Programme, to help mid-career Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMETs) to re-skill and move into sectors with better career prospects. He stepped down from the Cabinet in 2018 and retired from politics as a Member of Parliament in 2020.

Mr Lim says, “Firstly, I would like to show my utmost appreciation and respect to Brother Eugene Wong for his critical leadership in helming NTUC LHUB in the last two years. Having been part of the labour movement since 1996, I strongly believe that helping workers acquire better skills, secure better jobs and pursue better careers is a journey with no end. I look forward to working and innovating with the LHUB team, led by our recently appointed CEO Jeremy Ong, as well as our tripartite partners to achieve the best possible and most sustainable outcomes for our workers.”

NTUC Secretary-General, Mr Ng Chee Meng says, “As a former labour chief, Swee Say has paved the way for championing our workers’ needs and interests through his contributions over the years. With a heart for our workers, he also brings with him a wealth of experience, leadership prowess and an impeccable track record during his time in the Labour Movement and public service. There is no better appointment right now to strengthen our workers’ compact through upskilling initiatives for every segment of our workforce.”

NTUC LearningHub’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jeremy Ong says, “It is a great honour to be working with Brother Swee Say on NTUC LHUB’s journey to revolutionise the future of learning. He is known to advocate for workers’ lifelong employability, as the best form of welfare and worker protection. I believe Brother Swee Say is well-positioned to lead NTUC LHUB in helping our workers remain relevant and competitive through skills training in this digital age, as the way to uplift and improve the lives of the Singapore workforce.”

About NTUC LearningHub

NTUC LearningHub is the leading Continuing Education and Training provider in Singapore which aims to transform the lifelong employability of working people. Since our corporatisation in 2004, we have been working with employers and individual learners to provide learning solutions in areas such as Cloud, Infocomm Technology, Healthcare, Employability & Literacy, Business Excellence, Workplace Safety & Health, Security, Human Resources and Foreign Worker Training.

To date, NTUC LearningHub has helped over 26,000 organisations and achieved close to 2.6 million training places across more than 2,900 courses with a pool of about 900 certified trainers. As a Total Learning Solutions provider to organisations, we also forge partnerships to offer a wide range of relevant end-to-end training. Besides in-person training, we also offer instructor-led virtual live classes (VLCs) and asynchronous online learning. The NTUC LearningHub Learning eXperience Platform (LXP) — a one-stop online learning mobile application — offers timely, bite-sized and quality content for learners to upskill anytime and anywhere. Beyond learning, LXP also serves as a platform for jobs and skills development for both workers and companies.

For more information, visit .

#NTUCLearningHub

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.