South Asia must preserve the stories its saris tell
Every sari tells a story. Sometimes personal and sentimental, often historical, and usually cultural. Increasingly though, saris are a story about globalization, for both good and bad.
Let’s scale up, vary access to SME finance to boost Asia’s growth, cross-border trade
We need to make the best possible use of all financial instruments in our national and regional tool boxes so SMEs in Asia can continue driving national economies, providing jobs, and becoming globally competitive.
4 ways to boost SME access to finance from commercial banks in ASEAN
To avoid heavy-handed state intervention in small businesses, we need to think of new ways to make it easier for SMEs to obtain credit from commercial banks in ASEAN economies.
Nepal earthquake victims learn masonry skills to build back better
The ADB-supported Skills Development Project in Nepal is conducting training courses for masons to learn how to build houses to make them more resilient to future natural hazards like the 2015 earthquake.
Carbon trading in PRC could spur others, lead to cross-border markets
The announcement that the People's Republic of China will set up a national emissions trading market in 2017 is a game-changer that could prompt similar moves elsewhere.
TPP no inspiration for Doha negotiations
Even if their agendas seem alike, neither the content of the Trans-Pacific Partnership nor the process of the talks can provide a positive stimulus for the Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations.
Blog poll: Protectionism biggest challenge to AEC
Achieving full and free movement of goods, capital, and people within the ASEAN Economic Community is a long process that must continue beyond 2015.
Reversing the structural regression in Malaysia manufacturing
If Malaysia truly wants to reach high-income countries, it must first arrest and then reverse its structural regression, and improve the business environment to revive private investment in manufacturing.
Bilum – more than just a bag in Papua New Guinea
The traditional bags are a crucial source of livelihood for PNG women, providing many their first opportunity to enter the formal economy and escape rural poverty.
What Africa can learn from Asian supply chains
As wages and other business costs increase in East Asia, there is an incentive for some supply chains in food processing and garments to shift to Africa.