News and Views

Asia needs more transport infrastructure. More than the state, which finances the lion's share, can fund. So what more can be done to bring in increased private capital, when investors have so far been mostly disappointed by the returns? Is there a way of breathing new life into the public private partnership (PPP), the most common vehicle for private infrastructure investment?

Beyond its effect on incomes, trade can also have significant developmental impacts through its influence on the price, quantity, and quality of goods available within markets. How can African countries use trade policy to improve their population’s access to products that are important from a sustainable development perspective?

ADB President Takehiko Nakao shares his thoughts on Asia’s half century of growth and economic outlook, on the margins of a panel discussion at ADBI on the book Banking on the Future of Asia and the Pacific: 50 Years of the Asian Development Bank. Read more.

The Asian Development Bank Institute has moved up one position into the top 25 of the worldwide think tank ranking, according to the 2018 Global Go to Think Tank Index Report. ADBI also retained its world’s second-best government-affiliated think tank ranking for a fifth straight year. The results are based on an annual survey of think tanks, journalists, policymakers, public and private donors, and functional and regional specialists. Read more.

Advancements in productivity and poverty reduction due to trade liberalization in developing Asia have also come at a price, with pressure on workers’ bargaining power, connectivity gaps, and income inequality inviting new policy solutions. This study looks at priorities needed to limit blowback including the rollback of Asian reforms. Read more.

The Think20 is convening in Japan under its 2019 G20 presidency. T20 Japan Chair and Asian Development Bank Institute Dean Naoyuki Yoshino explains how the world’s leading think tanks will help G20 Leaders address pressing global challenges and deliver more inclusive, sustainable growth for all. Read more.

Women comprise half the world’s population but only four out of every ten workers, with the gender gap within the labor force rising as high as 25% among Asian countries. Read more.