"Infrastructure appears to be new buzz word among international financiers. Over $10 billion of funds have been raised by Global Infrastructure Partners and Morgan Stanley for investments into infrastructure projects, globally. Around $1 billion of the new funds raised by Morgan Stanley would be invested in developing markets, including India and China, with India getting a significant portion.

A host of Indian and international players have in recent times set up, or, are in the process of setting up infrastructure funds targeting India. Recently, State Bank of India -- the country's largest bank -- announced its intention to raise a new $2-billion infrastructure fund. China and India, combined, invested $300 billion in infrastructure in 2007."

"The free trade agreement between India and Sri Lanka has quadrupled trade to $2.7 billion between the two nations during 2000-08, according to a study. The trade pact was fully implemented in March 2008. Trade flows between the two countries grew by over 27 percent in the post-FTA period from 2000 to 2006.

India has taken a lead over Japan in the post-FTA period in terms of share in Sri Lanka's global imports. Apart from trade, investment flows grew significantly as a result of the FTA, which facilitated duty free trade for businessmen from both sides."

"High oil prices are already a concern in the Pacific region, but the recent surge in world food prices has yet to be fully felt in the Pacific, according to a new Asian Development Bank study. This lag between developments in mainland Asia and retail outlets in the Pacific provides a small window of opportunity to prepare for high food prices.

Recent increases in world prices may cause an additional 5% of low-income households in some Pacific nations to slip into poverty during 2008. The effects of high prices on Timor-Leste and the Fiji Islands are of particular cause for concern. The surge in food prices highlights the importance of ending the neglect of the rural economy. Rural infrastructure and services also need to be rebuilt if the region is to strengthen its resilience to high world food prices."

"A research center on World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement mechanism was set up in Shanghai on Sunday, the first of its kind in the country. The China-WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism Center will offer suggestions and solutions to trade disputes for government and businesses.

China has been facing a number of trade disputes in the past seven years after the country joined WTO. The research institute will help Chinese government and businesses further familiarize themselves with WTO rules and learn how to resolve disputes."

"Japan has committed $2 billion as assistance to develop nine infrastructure projects in India. The assistance will help in undertaking projects such as the Kolkata metro, Hogennakal water supply project and Tamil Nadu urban infrastructure project.

The second phase of the Delhi metro project will also be funded by Japan. This is the highest-ever official development assistance by the Japanese government to India. Negotiations on infrastructure projects like dedicated freight corridor, Chennai metro and Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor have already been initiated between the two governments."

"Indonesia and China will soon establish a task force to optimize economic relations between the two countries. The Indonesian Ambassador to China said the task force would be made up of several departments in the two countries to focus on bilateral relations in the field of economy.

The signing of the task force establishment would be made in conjunction with China-Indonesia Investment Forum in Jakarta from May 15-16. Indonesia and China have already reached their target of trade and investment in the strategic partnership which was signed by the two countries in 2005."

"Vietnam's trade deficit, which almost quadrupled in the first four months of the year, has ignited fears about the possibility of a looming economy crisis. Imports have exceeded exports by $11.1 billion over the first four months this year.

Short-term and speculative investment leaves Vietnam vulnerable if such capital is withdrawn. Short-term investments of $6.5 billion have been pumped into the country this year, compared with $1.3 billion in 2006, and $14.1 million in 2005."

"Bumper harvests, subsidies and price controls have helped China, which is practically sufficient in grain production to meet domestic demand, largely escape the steep increases in grain prices that have hit other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. But that may not last.

Some Chinese economists say the country's grain production is likely to remain stagnant in coming years, while demand will grow. Fast urbanization is reducing the amount of farmland, while the government's policies to restrict grain exports to keep prices low diminish farmers' enthusiasm to plant. In consequence, economists say, grain prices in China will inevitably go up markedly, perhaps within a year."

"Emerging markets, most notably India and China, with their accelerating IT expenditures, are influencing the direction of regional IT spending. This reflects the overall economic situation of the region where mature economies are moving up the ladder of IT sophistication, while emerging economies seek to close the economic gap and compete with their regional neighbors.

As governments implement their ICT roadmaps, they should consider longer-term shifts in the economy, society, and public sector, the role of technology in this evolution, and the changing role of government and other stakeholders in the ICT ecosystem. IT spending in Asia Pacific countries is set to increase from $244 billion in 2007 to $307 billion in 2011."

"Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics has started collecting information from every household across the country to conduct the agricultural census-2008. A total of 142,000 persons will collect information for all the households in the country from May 11.

The agriculture sector is the largest employment generation sector in the country, its contribution makes up 16 percent of the GDP. The government said it was imperative to make an integrated agricultural management system in order to ensure perfect utilization of the country's total land and livestock for the continuous growth of the agricultural sector."

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