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The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Laos and Australia deepen investment and development ties
VIENTIANE: Laos and Australia are stepping up efforts and reaffirming their commitment to boost trade, investment, and sustainable development, with several Australian companies already having a strong presence in Laos. Deputy Prime Minister and President of the Board of Investment, Saleumxay Kommasith, met Australian Ambassador to Laos, Megan Jones, on Tuesday (July 22) to discuss the growing commercial partnership, according to the Australian Embassy. The meeting focused on opportunities under 'Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040', which outlines key sectors for investment in Laos. 'Under Invested we have identified three key sectors as areas with the most opportunities for Australian investment: agriculture, green energy, and resources,' Ambassador Jones said. Trade and investment between the two nations have seen solid progress in recent years, driven by long-term cooperation and new initiatives. In June, the two governments launched the Laos-Australia Investment Facilitation and Transformation for Economic Resilience (LIFT 4 Laos) programme. It is designed to help Laos attract high-quality foreign investment, boost sustainable growth, and improve resilience to economic shocks. Australian businesses are already making a visible impact on the ground. In March, Australia's largest horticulture company, Costa Group, began developing a blueberry farm in Champasak province, which is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs. Earlier this year, Sydney-based asset manager New Forests acquired a majority stake in Burapha Agro-Forestry. The company's focus on reforestation and carbon credit generation supports both environmental goals and local development. In the logistics sector, Linfox signed a contract in 2024 with Carlsberg/Lao Brewery Company to transport products in Huaphan, Phongsaly and Vientiane provinces. This followed an earlier deal in July to provide forklifts to the company's warehouses. Australia has also maintained a long-standing presence in the mining sector. Australian Laboratory Services, known for its geochemical testing expertise, is celebrating 30 years of operations in Laos this year. Agriculture remains a strong pillar of cooperation, with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research supporting Laos for more than 35 years through research and capacity-building projects. The Laos-Australia Sustainable Energy Partnership is also moving forward, with Phase 2 of the programme scheduled to begin in 2026. Last year, Laos' Prime Minister Dr Sonexay Siphandone and the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, signed an agreement to elevate bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Partnership. This agreement reflects growing cooperation in foreign policy, education, infrastructure, health, security, economics, and development. Australia and Laos have shared diplomatic ties since the 1950s, building a relationship that both sides continue to value and strengthen. During the meeting, Ambassador Jones congratulated Saleumxay on his new role, saying his leadership would play a key part in driving economic cooperation. Looking ahead, AustCham Lao, the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Laos, will mark its 20th anniversary in 2025. It is the country's oldest foreign chamber and represents a broad network of businesses operating in Laos or trading with Australia. - Vientiane Times/ANN
Boston Globe
31-03-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Nonprofit founder wants to hold onto award after company closes
TROPHY CASE A. Get yourself some packing peanuts and a cute little box and take that award home with you. This is presuming it's not already in your home. If that's the case, then do nothing except perhaps give it a light dusting every now and then with a microfiber cloth. And perhaps set it somewhere that it can be seen in the background of your Zoom calls. Advertisement This award is a reflection of the work you did, with others, and was given as a direct result of those efforts. Sometimes I think that awards are so heavy because we're trying to mimic the emotional weight that they hold. An Oscar, for instance, is a little over 8 pounds. It's impractical to carry, which is exactly what makes it so gratifying to tote around. Get Love Letters: The Newsletter A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more. Enter Email Sign Up Your organization may be going away, but the impact you've made will surely outlast the closing of the doors. Every time you look at the award, remember that. And, when you do, perhaps reach out to a co-worker to remind them that the work you did together mattered so much that someone went to an award store and paid cold hard cash for a big heavy glass thing. Q. I'm a guy in my mid-60s, in relatively good health, but I'm fighting the whole getting older thing on a daily basis. I still want to hit the ball 250 yards every time and sexually knock it out of the park each time I get the chance (divorced and dating here). So, is this an OK 'rage against the dying of the light' thing, or is this an older guy who refuses to accept aging gracefully and looks positively foolish to the rest of the world? Advertisement HOME RUN A. It's good to have goals. I don't know that anyone, regardless of age, hits the ball 250 yards every time. That's just not how intercourse or human bodies work. (And, dear readers, if you're someone who believes you do knock it out of the park every time, don't email me about it. Congratulations, and keep it to yourself.) Sometimes the proverbial ball is going to get to 249. (We started with golf metaphors, so I'm going to stick to that sport.) Sometimes it's going to get to 100 but everyone involved is going to have a great time on the green anyway. One of the things that is difficult about aging, but can be very rewarding in the long run, is seeing the changes in your body as an opportunity to get to know yourself anew. You're not going to move through the world the way you did at 22, but also the 22-year-old you didn't know the things you know. So, if you can set aside the goal of engaging with others like your younger self, I think you'll find room to welcome in the experience you've accumulated in the past few decades and the ability to check in with your partner about what they want. Q. A letter on March 2 was written by someone named 'Invested Time.' They seemed frustrated that their 21- and 17-year-old nephews were not sufficiently involved or interested in learning about financial planning and investing, despite what are clearly some very generous financial gifts given to each of them. The writer was so disappointed, they were reconsidering their decision to provide for them in their will. All I can say to that is, 'Oh boy.' Advertisement I have been investing for more than 40 years (24 years professionally on Wall Street) and have a reasonably good handle on how to create and manage a personal portfolio with these kinds of investments. With all of this experience under my belt, if someone handed me a list of '50 well-rated' funds, I would probably go into 'TILT' mode. That's overwhelming even for the most experienced investor. Their intentions are admirable, but they needed to have these kids walk before they could run. A simple start could pique their interest, and they then may want to expand their horizons on their own without 'Invested Time' having to provide a whole lot of encouragement. Again, training wheels before a 10-speed. TIME OUT A. Absolutely. And a reminder: When you've got training wheels on, you're still riding the bike. It's OK to start simple and take your time. R. Eric Thomas can be reached at .
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Your ‘Money Why': To Be Happy, Understand Your Relationship With Money
Emotions play a huge role in everything we do, especially when it comes to money. The title of my book is Emotionally Invested. I picked that title because money is freakin' emotional! Understanding this is the key to finally getting to the root of your money woes and eventually achieving greater financial happiness in retirement. I've found that people don't want to be billionaires. (Well, most don't.) They don't care if Warren Buffett is short on corn futures. They just want to feel financially secure and stop worrying about money. Identifying why you handle money the way you do and why you're in your current financial situation can be a life-changing experience. I know. I see it every day. When I started as a financial advisor, I thought I would be a natural at the job. I'd worked in finance at Fortune 500 companies. I understood stocks, bonds, and investments. Most importantly, I believed that everyone was just one chart, graph, or Excel spreadsheet away from achieving financial happiness. But my world wasn't my client's world. They didn't get what I was saying, and I didn't understand how they made—or responded to—financial decisions. I'd thought I would just tell them what they should do, they would do it, and they'd be happy and grateful. How arrogant and stupid of me! I eventually realized that most people aren't meeting their financial goals because of their relationship with money. It's not that they lack knowledge. It's that they don't grasp why they did or didn't make certain financial decisions. So, I learned you can't be an effective financial advisor without delving into people's worries, fears, and relationships with money. In other words, their Money Why. In fact, the top reason for client satisfaction with financial advisors is not exceptional portfolio performance but rather feeling that 'me and my goals' are deeply understood. Some years later, I learned there was an official name for the approach I was taking: behavioral finance. It's based on behavioral science—the study of human behavior through experimentation and observation. The thing is, what we've learned about how humans behave is rarely applied to finance. Most money advisors (then and now) abide by the rational man theory: if you give people enough info, they'll make a highly rational decision. That's insane! We are human beings—we are never purely rational. Emotions play a huge role in everything we do. When I started helping my clients identify and understand their Money Why, things finally made sense to them. After more than two decades of 'financial therapy,' as I prefer to call it, I wrote a book. It's intended for individuals and couples who feel frustrated and overwhelmed by money and have a hard time talking about it. And believe me, that's a lot of people. Instead of telling you what stocks or mutual funds to buy, my book contains my most important observations from working with more than five hundred individuals and families for over twenty years. Chief among them is the different Money Whys people bring to the table, how these Money Whys subconsciously affect financial decisions, and, most importantly, how you can identify yours (and your partner's). Knowing your Money Why can change your financial world—and no, I'm not exaggerating. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Evans Wealth Strategies is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Every investor's situation is unique, and you should consider your investmentgoals, risk tolerance and time horizon before making any investment. Prior to making an investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Mary Clements Evans and not necessarily those of Raymond James. Evans Wealth Strategies 1134 Pennsylvania Ave., Emmaus, PA 18049, 610-421-8664
