Sentiment of Japanese firms in Asia gloomy<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Tokyo<\/p>\n
Business sentiment among Japanese companies operating in Asia
\nremained bleak in December particularly in the Philippines,
\nIndonesia and Singapore, an official survey showed Monday.<\/p>\n
The government's Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO)
\nsurveyed 1,578 Japanese companies with operations in key member
\ncountries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
\nwith 68.8 percent of them replying.<\/p>\n
According to the poll, business confidence in the Philippines
\nfell 7.5 points to minus 40.9 in December from minus 33.4 in
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
Indonesia hit minus 30.4 from minus 25.6, while Singapore
\nslipped to minus 67.2 from minus 64.3.<\/p>\n
The index measures the difference between firms saying
\neconomic conditions in a particular country are favorable and
\nthose saying they are not.<\/p>\n
A negative figure means a majority of firms believe conditions
\nare unfavorable.<\/p>\n
In Malaysia, sentiment improved very slightly to minus 72.5
\nfrom minus 72.6, the export-import association said, adding that
\ngloom in Thailand lifted to minus 20.6 from minus 21.8.<\/p>\n
"Looking ahead to the next two to three months, prospects
\nappear worse than the same period last year in all five
\neconomies, but the level of negative sentiment appears to be
\neasing slightly," JETRO said.<\/p>\n
Economic prospects looked particularly grim for Thailand, with
\nthe index seen dropping 17.4 points to 38 due to problems in the
\ntransportation, machinery, construction and real estate
\nindustries.<\/p>\n
Business confidence would fall to minus 61.8 in Singapore and
\nminus 60.8 in Malaysia. The future indicators gave minus 29.0 and
\nminus 40.9 to Indonesia and the Philippines respectively.<\/p>",
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