文莱央行：今年经济有望温和复苏

Economic Outlook - The Brunei economy is expected to maintain moderate growth in 2025 despite facing dual challenges from international and domestic factors [1] - In the first quarter of this year, Brunei's GDP contracted by 1.8%, with the oil and gas sector declining by 1.5% and the non-oil sector by 2.0% [1] - Economic recovery is anticipated due to the gradual restoration of oil and gas production, along with the expansion of sectors such as construction, tourism, trade, and information and communication technology [1] Investment and Growth Drivers - Ongoing foreign direct investment projects, particularly in the petrochemical, halal food, and manufacturing sectors, are expected to contribute to economic growth [1] Inflation and Monetary Policy - The average inflation rate for the first half of the year was -0.4%, influenced by government subsidies, price controls, and a global easing of inflation [1] - The central bank's latest forecast for the annual inflation rate ranges from -0.6% to 0.4% [1] Financial System Stability - The financial system remains robust, with total industry assets growing by 1.3% to reach 24.6 billion Brunei dollars by the end of the second quarter [1] - Islamic financial assets account for 14.6 billion Brunei dollars, while traditional financial assets total 10 billion Brunei dollars [1] - The banking capital adequacy ratio stands at a healthy 19.6% [1] Regulatory Developments - The central bank has recently revised the minimum cash reserve requirements and introduced a liquidity coverage ratio standard [1] - Traditional banks are encouraged to establish Islamic finance windows to promote financial inclusivity [1] - To foster digital finance development, the central bank has approved the launch of the "tarus" digital payment system and mandated the use of standardized QR codes for all transactions [1]