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State-owned enterprise reform critical to sustainable growth in Central Asia
Reforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to better serve the needs of national economies and the public is critical to ensure sustainable growth in Central Asian countries. This was the consensus at the workshop organized by ADBI and the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Assistance to Privatized Enterprises and Development of Competition on 24–26 July in Tashkent. Chairman Gulyamov Ravshan welcomed the participants, ADBI Deputy Dean Chul Ju Kim delivered the opening speech, and ADBI Dean Yoshino gave a video lecture on SOE reform. Government officials from Central Asia and international experts shared new research and case studies, and discussed ways to develop SOE reform strategies, including market and governance reforms, incentive schemes, and mechanisms for transparency and accountability.
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Successful public–private partnerships for infrastructure development demand efficient state-owned enterprises
Successful infrastructure development through public–private partnerships (PPPs) requires more efficient state-owned enterprises, which often take the role of a public contracting agency in the PPP scheme to increase the rate of return on infrastructure investment. This was concluded at the joint workshop, Promoting Infrastructure Development through Public Private Partnership and Revenue-Based Loan Modalities, organized by ADB Institute and the Presidential Advisory Council of the Republic of Indonesia (WANTIMPRES) on 2 August in Jakarta, Indonesia. High-level government officials from Indonesia and international experts, including ADB's South Asia Department Director General Ramesh Subramaniam and ADB's Indonesia Resident Mission Country Director Winfried F. Wicklein discussed infrastructure financing strategies. Indonesia’s Vice President Jusuf Kalla gave the opening remarks and ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino explained the role of private financing in infrastructure projects.
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Diverse energy sources crucial to respond to oil price volatility and protect the poor
Oil price changes have a huge impact on many industries in Asia, including agriculture, and hurt the poor most of all. Diversifying energy sources by investing in energy trade infrastructure and renewable technologies enables developing Asia to better cope with oil price volatility. These were some of the conclusions from an ADBI and ASEAN Secretariat workshop, Volatility of Energy Prices and Economics Performances: Implications on Economic Growth and Energy Security, held in Jakarta, Indonesia on 1 August. Twelve officials from ADB’s developing member countries participated, as did authors of a planned ADBI book project on energy policies. ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino and ASEAN Secretariat Deputy Secretary General Aladdin Rillo gave the opening remarks.
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Innovative fintech can promote inclusive and sustainable growth, say conference experts
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Bank of Thailand (BoT), ADB Institute and BoT held a conference highlighting the contributions of innovative fintech to future growth, on 6–7 August in Bangkok. ADBI Dean Naoyuki Yoshino and BoT Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob welcomed the participants. Dean Yoshino also spoke on infrastructure finance and household debt. ADB Vice President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development Bambang Susantono explained how ADB supports financial innovation, and former Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa spoke about the implications of fintech for monetary policy and banking supervision. Peter Morgan, ADBI’s Research co-chair; Bihong Huang, an ADBI research fellow; and ADB’s Noritaka Takamatsu, Shigehiro Shinozaki, and Cyn-Young Park also gave presentations.
Asia Pathways Blog
- VIDEO BLOG: High-tech, niche ideas for agribusiness
- Trust-by-Design Investment: A novel Blockchain-based approach to ease green energy investments
- “Monsters” in the house? What to do about Malaysia’s government-linked companies
- Japan’s Local Government Debt Control System
- What are the reasons behind the decrease in solar module prices?
Events
- Planning, Implementation, and Operation of High-Speed Rail in Asia
- Indonesia’s Recent Economic Development
- Distinguished Speaker Series: Report on Revitalizing Multilateral Governance at the World Trade Organization
- Third CAREC Energy Investment Forum
- Advisory Council Policy Dialogue: Land Acquisition and Infrastructure Development through Land Trust Laws
Books
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Wealthy But Unhealthy: Overweight and Obesity in Asia and the Pacific: Trends, Costs, and Policies for Better Health
High rates of overweight and obesity in Asia and the Pacific seriously threaten people’s health and undermine the region’s prosperity.
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Mission Incomplete: Reflating Japan's Economy (second edition)
In April 2013 the Bank of Japan launched an unprecedented quantitative and qualitative monetary easing policy. It was thought that a 2% price stability target could be achieved within 2 years; 4 years on and we are still mission incomplete.
Latest
Feed-in tarrifs and loans have proven effective in scaling up private investment in renewable energy.
Implications of Fiscal and Financial Policies for Unlocking Green Finance and Green Investment
Most non-bank financial institutions are ideally positioned to steer corporate capital allocation toward more sustainable uses.
Stimulating Non-Bank Financial Institutions’ Participation in Green Investments
Swap market deviations have far-reaching consequences.
Breaking Par: Short-Term Determinants of Yen-Dollar Swap Deviations
In Uzbekistan, the majority of households and firms save and borrow informally; few use digital finance products.
Financial Inclusion, Regulation, and Literacy in Uzbekistan
Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should increase the speed of negotiation for, coordination of, and responses to emergency food aid releases to enhance food security in Asia.
Building Food Security in Asia through International Agreements on Rice Reserves
We suggest a model for analyzing credit risk more easily without past financial information, especially for small enterprises.
Credit Risk Reduction Effect on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Finance through the Use of Bank Account Information
Podcast
- Asia needs better financial monitoring and safeguards as integration increases
- Solar energy use is growing fast as production costs plunge
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea could become a market economy in 20 to 25 years
- So far, so good, for emerging Asia but financial, monetary challenges remain
