0851 GMT - Central banks across Asia have struck a cautious tone around tensions in the Middle East, says OCBC's Lavanya Venkateswaran. The pain from higher energy prices and reduced oil and natural gas imports is akin to a gut punch for economies like India, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, she says. These economies are net energy importers and, absent subsidies, will see building inflationary pressures. Authorities in India, Thailand and Vietnam can shift some of the subsidy burden off-budget, but that kicks the can down the road, the senior economist says. Indonesia and Malaysia can buffer the impact with fiscal cushions, but the duration and persistence of higher oil prices will significantly affect their ability to keep fiscal backstops in place. (fabiana.negrinochoa@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 25, 2026 04:52 ET (08:52 GMT)
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