Covid-19 Impact on Southeast Asia MSMEs

Lao PDR recorded its first Covid-19 case in March 2020. The first nationwide lockdown, closing all non-essential businesses, occurred from March 30 to May 4, 2020. While restrictions within Lao PDR eased for the rest of 2020, as of writing, travel in and out of the country remains very limited. In order to accurately reflect the impact of Covid-19… Read more

The Economist cites key findings from the Foundation’s recent report, “Revisiting the Pandemic: Rapid Survey on the Impact of Covid-19 on MSMEs in the Tourism Sector and Households in Cambodia” in a piece assessing the challenges facing the tourism industry in Southeast Asia. This absence has taken its toll on the economy. In 2020 tourism’s contrib… Read more

The Diplomat highlights key findings from the Foundation survey Revisiting the Pandemic: Rapid Survey on the Impact of Covid-19 on MSMEs in the Tourism Sector and Households in Cambodia. The survey is part of an ongoing series addressing the need for accurate data on how the pandemic is disrupting MSMEs, vulnerable workers, and the informal economy… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a dramatic roll-back of economic progress across Southeast Asia. While the region has managed to contain the spread of the virus better than most others, the economic impact on the region has been devastating. Southeast Asia is highly integrated into the global economy, both with regard to trade and international travel… Read more

GovAsia provides a platform for The Asia Foundation and its partners to examine critical social, economic, and political issues faced by citizens and governments across Asia, drawing on the Foundation’s daily engagement with the region’s development challenges. GovAsia aims to facilitate thoughtful debate and build consensus for solutions to the mo… Read more

Over the course of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic had an unprecedented worldwide impact. In Timor-Leste, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) were particularly susceptible to the economic impact of the pandemic, and MSMEs in the tourism sector experienced the worst setbacks. To improve understanding of the scale of Covid-19’s impact on tourism… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a dramatic rollback of economic progress across Southeast Asia. While the region has managed to contain the spread of the virus better than most others, the economic impact on the region has been devastating. As a result of its heavy dependence on the tourism sector, Thailand has one of the worst affected economi… Read more

The Covid-19 outbreak led to severe repercussions in Malaysia, and the local micro, small, and medium- sized enterprises (MSMEs) appear to have been badly affected. In order to evaluate the economic impact of Covid-19 on Malaysian MSMEs, The Asia Foundation, in partnership with Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, conducted a survey between July an… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a dramatic roll-back of economic progress across Southeast Asia. While the region managed to contain the spread of the virus better than most, the economic impact on the region has been devastating. Southeast Asia is highly integrated into the global economy, both with regard to trade and international travel. Af… Read more