Representatives and stakeholders from the industry and commerce sector and the European Union came together to discuss sustainable trade solutions at the ARISE Plus Laos 6th Project Review yesterday.
Laos to Bolster Sustainable Trade, Diversify Value Chains Under ARISE Plus Project

Laos Informs Thais that Kratom Remains Illegal
The Lao Department of Food and Drug Safety is concerned with the illegal use of kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) in Laos.
Lao Deputy Prime Minister Visits Cambodia

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs led a delegation on Wednesday to attend the 14th Meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation between Laos and Cambodia (JCBC), held from 06-08 July 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick optimizes to new recyclable paper packaging in July
Retaining the crispy fun and integrating the concept of sustainability for a green lifestyle
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 July 2022 – As the world’s largest food and beverage company, NESTLÉ is committed to providing consumers with Good food, Good life, and inspiring the public to live a green lifestyle. NESTLÉ aims to achieve 100% recyclable or reusable product packaging1 by 2025 and reduce the use of virgin plastic by one-third. This July, NESTLÉ Hong Kong optimizes the individual packaging of NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick to recyclable paper packaging in order to reduce the use of plastics, encourage consumers to recycle packaging materials and join hands with NESTLÉ to support sustainability.

Hong Kong NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick optimizes to recyclable paper packaging and keeps its crispy fun
This month, NESTLÉ Hong Kong has taken another step for its green footprint by optimizing the packaging for NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick. The recyclable paper packaging is used in order to reduce the plastic consumption. The new environmental-friendly packaging was developed by NESTLÉ team. After researches and tests, the packaging is made of 100% pure pulp which is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to achieve the effect of reducing plastic consumption and being recyclable2. NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick had won many praises since its successful launch last year. It is transformed from the classic crispy fun of Nestle® KITKAT® chocolate wafers. The crispy chocolate surface of NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick is also covered with large pieces of Nestle® KITKAT® chocolate wafer to bring out its rich, sweet and crispy taste and texture. Everyone can participate in recycling together and contribute to sustainable development while enjoying NESTLÉ® KITKAT® Stick. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Let us work together to reduce the impact of product packaging on environment and improve the quality of life!

Suggested Retail Price: | $19 (Impulse); $59.9 (Multipack) |
Point of Sales: | Supermarkets & convenient stores (gradually changeover to recycling paper packaging) |
NESTLÉ Customer Service: | 2179 8888 |
Reference
- NESTLÉ (2018). NESTLÉ aiming at 100% recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025. Vevey, Switzerland. From: https://www.nestle.com/media/pressreleases/allpressreleases/nestle-recyclable-reusable-packaging-by-2025#
- NESTLÉ (2021). Carry on the sustainability mission with environmental-friendly packaging. Thailand. From: https://www.nestle.co.th/en/stories/recyclable-packaging
Trend Micro Achieves AWS Healthcare Competency
Exceeding 15 competencies and designations for cloud security
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 July 2022 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, announced today that it has achieved Amazon Web Service (AWS) Healthcare Competency status. This accreditation adds to Trend Micro’s more than 15 AWS competencies and designations for its cloud security solutions.
As an AWS Advanced Technology Partner, Trend Micro offers simple and comprehensive security solutions specially designed to meet the needs of companies using AWS.
Critical healthcare operations and the continuous care of patients all depend on the security of highly sensitive personal data. According to Forrester Research, “Healthcare organizations must fortify security now and continuously improve it moving forward. Ransomware, insider threats, bad bots, DDoS attacks, and spear-phishing emails targeting HCOs have wreaked havoc on an already overburdened healthcare system[1] .”
“XSOLIS provides data automation, transparency, and objective insights to our connected network of providers and payers. Ensuring the secure exchange of data for our customers is our utmost priority,” said Zach Evans, chief technology officer at XSOLIS. “By leveraging Trend Micro managed services, we have improved our security posture and meet compliance with ease, allowing us to focus on our mission of accelerating data-driven decision making and collaboration to create a more efficient healthcare system.”
Trend Micro has also added the latest AWS DevOps Competency, and averages more than 10 design wins a year, which is a testament to the value Trend Micro has created for customers.
“Technology innovation is in our DNA. This latest designation is another proof point of our successful business transformation as a platform-based cybersecurity provider,” said Mike Milner, vice president of cloud technology at Trend Micro. “As we continue to expand into new business verticals, a strong relationship with AWS allows us to broaden our customer base and jointly create a secure cloud environment.”
AWS Healthcare Competency recognizes partners with proven customer success and technical skills in their respective categories.
To learn more about our inclusion as an AWS Partner for the healthcare segment, please visit www.trendmicro.com/aws.
Hashtag: #TrendMicro
About Trend Micro
Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, the platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 65 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world. www.trendmicro.com.hk
Workbean seeks to build the largest company culture directory in Asia

Workbean is on a mission to build the largest company culture directory in Asia aimed at helping companies amplify their culture stories while helping professionals find work where they belong. Workbean is providing supports for leading companies like Lalamove, Kumu, and Atlassian in their employer branding journey to bridge the gap between the expectations of candidates and companies starting from the recruitment phase.
In a recent community event held by Workbean for Talent Acquisition leaders in the Philippines, the company representatives shares that an increasing number of candidates are now starting to ask more intelligent questions that forces the companies to rethink their employer branding strategies to be more candidate-centric.
“Think of us like Airbnb, but instead of looking for the next place to stay, we’ll give you the same experience in looking for the next company to work for. We’re doing this to give companies a platform to showcase their culture while helping job seekers in their research prior to application or interviews.”, said Kass Monzon, co-founder of Workbean.
Adapting to employment trends in the digital age
In the face of an impending recession, Workbean is constantly developing and perfecting all its supporting features to contribute to reducing unemployment. The Workbean platform is free to join and uses a simple and unique job search process through intelligent algorithms to help employers and job seekers find each other faster. Recognising the mobility of the labour market, Workbean posts information related to job opportunities to meet the needs of employers and job seekers globally, particularly in the Philippines. Before 2022 ends, Workbean will be able to compile 5,000 company cultures on their platform, a feat that no other job search platforms have ever accomplished.
Hashtag: #Workbean
About Workbean
Workbean is a leading company culture platform headquartered in the Philippines.
Employers can promote their company culture on Workbean to attract suitable potential candidates, as Workbean has the highest number of company cultures compiled in one platform.
If you want to know more information about the top companies in the Philippines on Workbean, visit https://www.workbean.co/discover.
Laos Mask Mandate Still Unclear
Despite fully reopening to tourists in May, Laos has yet to fine-tune its mask mandate. The unchanged official stance on masks could be unwittingly deterring tourists.
Demand for Tech-Lite Talent with Coding Skills Continue to Rise, As Companies Increase Digitalisation of Their Business Processes
- Employers are looking to hire tech roles in the next two years, with 73% looking to hire tech-lite roles requiring basic coding skills
- Coding skills will help employees “stay relevant in an increasingly digital and automated job market” (62%), “enhance the performance of employees” (60%), and “increase the career prospects and growth of employees” (55%)
- The top tech-lite job roles coveted by employers are Business Analyst (23%), Statistical Analyst (22%), and Data Mining and Modelling Specialist (21%)
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 July 2022 – Given the growing emphasis on the digitalisation of business processes to enhance workflow efficacy, employers are increasing their adoption of technology involving coding skills, which are the baseline competency for professionals to identify and measure problems and make data-driven decisions. More than half (53%) of the employers surveyed cited the increasing number of tech-lite jobs that require basic coding skills, and 73% of employers are looking to fill tech-lite roles in the next two years.
These are some of the key findings from NTUC LearningHub’s recently launched Industry Insights report on Coding, to uncover the importance of acquiring coding knowledge, the demand for tech-lite and tech-heavy roles, as well as the priority skills required of employees.
The report is based on a survey with 200 business leaders across various industries in Singapore, and interviews with industry practitioners and experts from NTUC LearningHub and its training content partners. It also offers recommendations on how aspiring coders from varying backgrounds and level of competency can upskill in coding.
A strong majority of employers (84%) agree that there is an increasing need for employees across various roles to acquire basic coding skills. Nearly a third of them (28%) shared that a large proportion of roles within their organisation requires some extent of coding knowledge.
Although 51% of the business leaders believe that a traditional education qualification is important when considering candidates with coding skills, over half of them are open to hiring candidates who may not have the relevant education (67%) or the relevant job experience (65%) but have undergone skills training and attained certification in coding.
In addition, employers are also on a lookout for talents with critical core skills such as problem solving (69%), communication (58%) and digital fluency (52%) as they are complementary to the technical skills of an effective coder.
Commenting on the report findings, NTUC LearningHub’s Director of Infocomm Technology, Anthony Chew says, “Tech-lite coding skills can be picked up by beginners with keen interest in technology and can be applied horizontally across different domains and industries. For example, marketing professionals can acquire basic coding skills to automate rudimentary marketing processes using robotic process automation. Our insights indicate that there is a strong demand for tech-lite roles, and while digitally savvy candidates may be qualified for such roles, candidates who possess industry-recognised coding certifications have an added advantage and will be in a better position to advance their careers. Therefore, now is the right time for workers who want to enhance their employability to seize the opportunity by acquiring basic coding skills. Meanwhile, employers should consider sending their current workforce for training in coding as an investment. At NTUC LearningHub, we have various levels of training programmes in coding for the diverse needs of our learners.
To download the Industry Insights report on Coding, https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/coding-2022. To find out more about the courses, training, and grants, contact NTUC LearningHub at www.ntuclearninghub.com/.
Hashtag: #NTUCLearningHub
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 www.ntuclearninghub.com.