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Asia's Developing Future
By Asian Development Bank InstituteEducation
Asia's Developing Future episodes
- The “kicker” bond could help kick-start infrastructure projectsHow can private investors be persuaded to invest in public infrastructure – like new highways, railways, and dams?Many governments don’t want to incur further debt. And most politicians are reluctant to impose new or higher taxes on citizens who use the infrastructure.Institutional investors—such as pension funds—don’t generally see infrastructure as an attractive investment option. This is especially so in emerging economies with untried borrowers.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2Rj8RPYRead the bloghttps://www.asiapathways-adbi.org/2017/05/kick-start-private-infrastructure-with-future-tax-sharing-bonds/About the authorsNaoyuki Yoshino is dean and chief executive officer of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and professor emeritus at Keio University, Tokyo.Grant Stillman is legal advisor at ADBI.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2CyDzfHhttps://bit.ly/2SlQUxJ5 min
- In richer economies, the poor are more at risk of becoming obese than the more affluentEconomic development can have significant health costs for growing numbers of overweight and obese people, as the example of Indonesia illustrates. This is what a new book by the Asian Development Bank Institute concludes. Overweight and Obesity in Asia and the Pacific: Trends, Costs, and Policies for Better Health gathers analyses by economists, doctors, and public health experts, including Matthias Helble, ADBI’s co-chair of research at the time the book was published and now an economist at the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila, and Toshiaki Aizawa, a PhD student at the University of York in the United Kingdom. They write that the growing numbers of overweight and obese people are one of the most pressing public health issues, particularly in developing countries, where almost two-thirds of the world’s obese people live.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2rTEZLGRead the reporthttps://www.adb.org/publications/wealthy-unhealthy-overweight-and-obesity-asia-and-pacific-trends-costs-and-policiesAbout the authorsMatthias Helble was co-chair of research at the Asian Development Bank Institute at the time the book was published and now an economist at ADB headquarters in Manila.Toshiaki Aizawa is a PhD student at the University of York in the United Kingdom.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2SmLjH9https://bit.ly/2SkFTN75 min
- Digital technology is essential to better financial services for small businessesDigital technology is essential to better financial services for small businessesBetter financial services are needed by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), such as secured transaction frameworks, credit information systems, and insolvency regimes.Among the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum economies, MSMEs represent more than 60% of total employment, 40% of gross domestic product, and 15% of total exports, but some 40% of their financial needs go unserved, mainly because they are too small to get banks’ attention. Shawn Hunter, David Dole, and Valdimir dela Cruz explain.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2V1WGGzRead the policy briefhttps://www.adb.org/publications/financial-inclusion-digital-ageAbout the authorsShawn Hunter is manager of Inclusive Finance at the Foundation for Development Cooperation.Valdimir dela Cruz was an associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) at the time the paper was written.David Dole is senior economist at ADBI.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2GJxL7Bhttps://bit.ly/2QH3ACy4 min
- Obesity “time bomb” ticks away in developing economiesDeveloping countries need to urgently deal with an obesity “time bomb” ticking away in their economies, and which is already dragging down growth and driving up health costs.The World Health Organization says that in 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight and 650 million were obese, with the worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripling since 1975. Mathias Helble and Azusa Sato investigate.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2SaqUFdRead the reporthttps://www.adb.org/publications/wealthy-unhealthy-overweight-and-obesity-asia-and-pacific-trends-costs-and-policiesAbout the authorsMathias Helble is a former senior economist and co-chair of the Asian Development Bank Institute’s Research Department in Tokyo.Azusa Sato is a health specialist at the Asian Development Bank in Manila.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2LuBDaUhttps://bit.ly/2Re06XG8 min
- Asia has a lot more catching up to do in green investmentsAsia may have made headway in channeling investments into green projects, but it needs $26.2 trillion between 2016 and 2030 or $1.7 trillion annually to finance sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure. Southeast Asia alone needs an estimated $110 billion annually for investment in power, transport, information and communication technology, and water and sanitation through 2025.Asia has a lot more catching up to do than other regions. In 2016, green investments in Asia, excluding Japan, totaled $52 billion, accounting for only 0.8% of all funds under management in the region. This pales in comparison with 52.6% in Europe, 50.6% in Australia and New Zealand, 37.8% in Canada, and 21.6% in the United States. Ulrich Volz of SOAS explains.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2RTi7r9Read the working paperhttps://www.adb.org/publications/fostering-green-finance-sustainable-development-asiaAbout the authorUlrich Volz is head of the Department of Economics at SOAS, University of London.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2SEYAushttps://bit.ly/2SJw2Ac8 min
- Central banks in developing Asia are prepared for uncertain timesLessons learned during the Asian financial crisis leave central banks in developing Asia well-prepared for potentially volatile times as the world emerges from a period of ultra-low interest rates. That’s the view of central bank expert Hans Genberg, an advisor at the South East Asian Central Banks Research and Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2B9UzHxRead the reporthttps://bit.ly/2B9D7mvWatch the presentationhttps://bit.ly/2UvwwM1About the authorHans Genberg is advisor to the South East Asian Central Banks Research and Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2SGaOmQhttps://bit.ly/2EhoErR5 min
- Land trusts are the best way to acquire private land for infrastructureLand trusts are the best way for governments in Asia to acquire private land for infrastructure projects. They also increase the likelihood that private companies will help build the roads, bridges, and railways that will keep economies growing.Recent research by the Asian Development Bank Institute notes that political upheaval has often accompanied attempts by governments to take over private land for infrastructure projects. India, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines have all faced opposition to forcible land expropriation. Projects have been delayed by years or even canceled because of sometimes-violent opposition to land takeovers.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2APPPGURead the working paperhttps://www.adb.org/publications/land-acquisition-and-infrastructure-development-through-land-trust-lawsAbout the authorsSaumik Paul is a senior economist at the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI).Naoyuki Yoshino is dean of ADBI.Vengadeshvaran Sarma is an economist at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus.Saloni Lakhia is a graduate student at the International Christian University.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2Q0hDCC4 min
- In the People’s Republic of China, girls now have more schooling than boysGirls now have more schooling on average than boys in the People’s Republic of China, reversing the age-old tradition of sons being better educated than daughters.One driver of change is China’s rapid economic growth over the past several decades, which has raised female literacy and living standards, leading to females receiving more schooling. Government policies limiting families to just one child and requiring them to send all children to school are also major factors.Kathleen McGarry and Xiaoting Sun of UCLA explain the factors contributing to the change in trend.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2QcPhW4Read the working paperhttps://www.adb.org/publications/three-generations-changing-gender-patterns-schooling-prcAbout the authorsKathleen McGarry is a professor and vice chair in the Department of Economics at UCLA and a research associate at National Bureau of Economic Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Xiaoting Sun is a PhD candidate in the Department of Economics at UCLA.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2Q7FMXZhttps://bit.ly/2zzBgHH7 min
- More action is needed to achieve fair taxation in the digital economyInnovative financial services and improved ways of doing business have emerged on the back of the rapidly growing digital economy, a field that has been growing exponentially over the past 10 years.The digital economy is extremely diverse, driving e-commerce, app stores, online advertising, online payment services, and cloud computing among a wide range of fields.Because the digital economy operates in an environment lacking regulations, achieving fair taxation is a challenge. Wawan Juswanto and Rebecca Simms explain.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2rgYpdrRead the policy briefhttps://www.adb.org/publications/fair-taxation-digital-economyAbout the authorWawan Juswanto was a senior economist and Rebecca Simms was an associate at the Asian Development Bank Institute when the research was conducted.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2AoPv1vhttps://bit.ly/2PYTbBC7 min
- Denying credit to small and medium-sized enterprises may threaten an economy’s growthSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) comprise 99% of nonfinancial businesses in the euro area and employ 67% of the total labor force. In Asia, they account for almost 98% of all businesses and employ about 66% of the workforce. These businesses are vital to a country’s economy.To survive, most SMEs need external funding. The most important direct sources are credit lines, bank loans, and leasing. Funds are essential—but where are they? What can be done to help SMEs? Danilo Mascia of Nottingham University Business School investigates.Read the transcripthttps://bit.ly/2QlSLELRead the working paperhttps://www.adb.org/publications/young-enterprises-and-bank-credit-denialsAbout the authorDanilo Mascia is an assistant professor in banking at Nottingham University Business School, United Kingdom.Know more about ADBI’s workhttps://bit.ly/2P4vpivhttps://bit.ly/2QiA5G95 min
About Asia's Developing Future
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ADBI is the think tank of the Asian Development Bank. We conduct policy research and capacity building to drive sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.
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