Subjects Archives - Page 30 of 56

Time for SMEs in CAREC to move beyond borders

Ayumi Konishi / August 1, 2017

One of the most daunting challenges for the countries participating in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program is how to create decent, sustainable jobs. For far too long, many CAREC countries have relied on the capital-intensive extractives sector to drive their economic growth. However, the slowing down of the global economic growth and reduced commodity prices resulted in the substantial increase in unemployment, especially among the youth.

Economics, Environment, Finance sector development, Governance and public sector management, Industry and trade, Infrastructure, Regional cooperation and integration, Urban Development

The PRC’s international capacity cooperation exports both industrial capacity and financial risk

Tristan Kenderdine / July 27, 2017

International capacity cooperation (国际产能合作guoji channeng hezuo) was a 2014 addition to the “Go Global” policy suite that the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) central bureaucracy expanded throughout 2016. It is the result of seeking a way forward from “new normal” low industrial growth rates and is a novel solution to the industrial capacity utilization problems the PRC has suffered since the 2008–2009 spending stimulus flooded into traditional industries. Steel, cement, aluminum, paper, glass, and everything from pork production to robots are in 2017 mired in cyclical overcapacity.

Finance sector development, Information and Communications Technology

Blockchain pilots making waves in developing Asia

Alisa DiCaprio / July 20, 2017

We’ve all heard the buzz about the potential applications of blockchain technology. But what’s actually happening in developing countries in Asia and the Pacific? Beyond bitcoin payments and remittances, blockchain exists largely in the pilot stage. Governments and banks are collaborating with technology firms to see if it can be used to solve persistent problems like traceability, identification, and trust.

Economics, Governance and public sector management, Industry and trade, Regional cooperation and integration

Will 2025 be the final deadline for the ASEAN Economic Community?

Jayant Menon / July 14, 2017

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) fell short of its target of realizing the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of 2015, deferring 105 of its 506 measures. A successor blueprint called the AEC Blueprint 2025, which lays out the work for ASEAN economic integration in the next 10 years, was adopted at the 27th ASEAN Summit in November 2015.

Economics, Education, Environment, Health, Population, Social development and protection, Urban Development

Pointers from Asia for urbanization in Africa

Naoyuki Yoshino / July 12, 2017

Africa and Asia are latecomers to urbanization. In these two continents, less than half live in urban centers, while elsewhere, more than 70% of people do. But Africa and Asia are now rapidly urbanizing, with Asian cities growing at an average of 1.5% per year and Africa’s at 1.1% per year.

Economics, Finance sector development, Governance and public sector management

Is corruption “sand in the wheels” for credit markets? Evidence from European MSMEs

Emma Galli / July 7, 2017

Bank credit is a crucial financing tool for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) given their difficulty in entering equity markets. However, accessing bank credit is not as easy as one might think. Specifically, MSMEs often face difficulties when they need to provide valid collateral to loan officers (Cowan, Drexler, and Yañez, 2015).

Economics, Education, Finance sector development, Governance and public sector management, Poverty, Social development and protection

Costs of expanded public pension coverage in emerging Asia

Peter J. Morgan / June 30, 2017

The fiscal burden of public pensions in most emerging Asian economies is relatively small, reflecting relatively young populations and limited coverage of the retired-age population in public pension programs. Nonetheless, these conditions are likely to change dramatically in the coming decades. First, many Asian economies will face rapidly aging populations, which will raise pension and other old-age-related spending substantially. Second, as economies develop, political pressures to expand the coverage of public pensions and raise the level of pension benefits relative to income will likely increase.

Economics, Finance sector development, Poverty

Distortions, growth catch-up, and the middle-income trap

Xiaojing Zhang / June 21, 2017

In theory, a distortion refers to a departure from the perfect competitive equilibrium with no externalities and in which resources have been optimally allocated so that each economic agent maximizes his or her own welfare. Thus, distortions are closely associated with market imperfections. In reality, an economy with no distortions does not exist—both advanced and developing economies use government interventions, such as stabilization policies, development strategies, industrial policies, administrative regulations, and so forth, which can be viewed as distortions, broadly defined.

Energy, Environment, Governance and public sector management, Infrastructure

Propelling ASEAN towards clean coal technology

Han Phoumin / June 9, 2017

Coal, the most abundant and reliable energy resource, will continue to be the dominant energy source in power generation to meet the fast-growing electricity demand in the emerging economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The share of coal use in power generation was 32% in 2015, and this is projected to increase to 42% by 2040.

Economics, Energy, Finance sector development, Governance and public sector management

Twenty years after the Asian financial crisis: The evolution of Asian financial cooperation

Stefan Angrick / May 30, 2017

When Asia was hit by its regional financial crisis 20 years ago, Asian policy makers were quick to call for regional solutions to what was perceived to be a common problem: Asian countries’ dependence on foreign finance. Prominent political figures and scholars argued for a greater regional focus of monetary and economies policies, suggesting the introduction of currency baskets modeled on trade patterns, financial structures, and even Asian currency units akin to the European Currency Unit, the euro’s predecessor.