Future CFO

The shift from manual controls to agentic action is arguably the most profound transformation the Office of the CFO will see in the next decade. For years, finance transformation has been about digitising paper processes or using Generative AI to draft reports. Agentic AI is fundamentally different. It does not just analyse data or generate text; it takes autonomous action.

The Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) renewed its partnership with business groups, professional organisations, foreign chambers, and industry associations for multi-sectoral consultative mechanism to boost tax administration reforms. Under the deal, the BIR and its private sector partners will continue to collaborate on tax administration reforms, taxpayer services, compliance issues, digitalisation, ease of paying taxes, and ease-of-doing-business initiatives.

Instead of relying heavily on price adjustments to absorb tariff shocks, organisation leaders in the Asia-Pacific region now view them more as short-term stopgaps rather than viable long-term strategies. In a recent study, it was noted that there has been a shift in mindset among leaders, which represent a broader recalibration.

As the Finance function face mounting pressure to deliver sharper and more accurate insights in a manner that is faster amid economic uncertainty and rapid AI adoption, it is only fitting that finance leaders understand which aspect of digital transformation emerges as the most significant one.

Total client assets in Asia-Pacific is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3% to US$154.3 trillion by 2030. This is according to a recent report by PwC, highlighting that the forecasted increase is dominated by the high net worth and mass affluent segments. Shifting demographics, massive intergenerational wealth transition, and supportive government policies are poised to create remarkable opportunities for the region, PwC says.

Fragmented global payment systems are driving financial exclusion, affecting the most vulnerable population. This is the findings of a report by Thunes in conjunction with Juniper Research, highlighting that the world’s most vulnerable people are being hit with a ‘friction tax’ of high fees and delays. According to the study, given the real-world consequences of global fragmentation, delays translate directly into financial stress, instability and missed opportunities.

Navigating the digital era may not always be a piece of cake for some organisations as hurdles and challenges continue to test the wit of finance leaders. This is why it is important for the Finance function to have a good grasp of the technology advancements – from real-time analytics, ERP, RPA and AI insights, as they undoubtedly present finance with tangible benefits.

The Philippines saw net inflows of US$611 million in foreign direct investments in March 2026, an increase year over year from US$485 million, according to data recently released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. However, the recorded figure is 4.2% lower compared to the US$638 million reached in February 2026.

Hong Kong is launching a tax-break plan to establish corporate treasury centres in the city. The initiative seeks to broaden tax incentives and introduce a pre-approval mechanism to attract more companies, according to Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui Ching-yu.

As the buzz on artificial intelligence intensifies, private equity firms in Asia continue on in experimenting what works and what doesn’t. According to Mergermarket, the global market dives into mergers and deals concerning AI but Asia works on applying AI systems internally, encouraging portfolio companies to do the same. The trend on exploration comes almost regardless of cost in the region as the potential long-term efficiency gains could be so substantial.