"Oil refinery capacity in Indonesia has not expanded since the mid 1990s. Geographical constraints, old technology and capacity does not fit the changing domestic demand, resulting in the increasing cost of importing fuels. Infrastructure for distributing oil across the archipelago is also decaying.

The country's 170 oil storage sites are not sufficient, but the progress to build new sites has been very slow. Indonesia's energy consumption will continue to grow in line with the growth of the country's economy, urban population and changes in lifestyle that consume more energy. This trend of energy consumption will continue to take place despite rising oil prices."

"Water is in short supply for a large proportion of the world's people: about one billion lack access to clean water and 2.6 billion have no sanitation. It is generally the poorest who pay most for what is one of the most essential of all natural resources. An estimated 5,000 children die every day from water-related disease.

If the number of people lacking safe drinking water were halved, at a cost of about $10 billion, the world would benefit by $38 billion in annual economic growth, according to the United Nations Development Program. Water is just about the most renewable natural resource, the problem is its distribution and the way societies manage their water resources."

"In recent years, development zones no longer offer the same favorable treatment to investors as they did before. After the new taxation policy and labor stipulations were enforced, there is little difference between development zones and other areas in their financial incentives. The relatively independent regime in development zones might be a restriction on sustainable growth of the zones in the long term.

The urban infrastructure of Chinese cities has been boosted in the last three decades. Most cities are now very investor-friendly. Therefore, development zones should not be as closed as they were. Opening them up could help people draw lessons from the successful experiences of development zones and promote them in the rest of China."

"After a worldwide spike in the cost of rice several months ago, the government of Timor-Leste began to subsidize rice. Under the program, government-subsidized rice sells for $16 per 35kg bag while non-subsidized imported rice costs $27 per bag. In addition to subsidizing imported rice, the ministry of agriculture has been giving out thousands of hand tractors and encouraging subsistence farmers to farm even greater tracts of land in the hope of producing more food.

But rising fuel prices could have doomed this initiative because as food subsidies have made life easier for thousands of consumers, rampant petrol prices are killing farmers. Even if the rice is planted and harvested, the government offers no help with transportation or marketing."

"Viet Nam will fully open its retail market to foreign businesses in 2009. When this happens, how will domestic businesses compete with them? According to the latest statistics, total retail circulation and service turnover in the first half of 2008 was estimated at 30 percent higher than the same period last year. This shows that Viet Nam has great potential to develop its distribution network.

However, current retail sales in the distribution network made up only 10% of the domestic retail market. Only 4-5 percent of retail staff received specialize training. Businesses do not take the initiative to coordinate in purchasing and selling goods. As a result, Vietnam's retail distribution network mainly operates as a sales agent with a low profit margin although it involves many businesses."

"Despite 17 years of financial reform in India, there are not many investment avenues targeted at special categories of investors. Three decades ago, home loans were hard to come by. Commercial banks on their own were not in the business. On the other side, the real estate market was vastly different from what it is today. The plethora of choice that prospective home buyers have today was simply not there.

Those who did not have the opportunity to buy a home through savings -- repaying a home loan is after all an excellent form of saving -- are now in the retired category and automatically become ineligible for a long term loan. Whether it is the renewal of health insurance or getting a loan to buy a car, senior citizens are at a disadvantage."

"Nepal could significantly reduce its food insecurity over the next decade if it revamped its agricultural sector and invested more in irrigation, according to specialists. Approximately 45 of the country's 75 districts fail to produce enough food to meet the population's basic needs. Agriculturalists worry that productivity is dropping while the population is rising.

Moreover, cropland holdings are diminishing in a country where nearly 80 percent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Fewer than 100,000 farmers own more than three hectares of croplands to farm, with the vast majority of farmers working on less than 0.5 hectares. Self-sufficient in food-grains until the 1980s, Nepal now has to import food. Average rice, wheat and maize yields are comparatively lower than for most of its South Asian neighbors."

"Fiji needs to strengthen its relationship within its private sector in order to help facilitate its export industries and improve productivity, says the primary industries minister. With the increasing costs of doing business in the agricultural sector together with rising concerns on climate change and threats to food security, there is a need for both the private and public sector to work together.

To help facilitate exports, there is a need to improve local production and the animal disease status. An animal health surveillance system needs to be established. Components such as early warning systems, appropriate emergency response plans and proper diagnostic systems and procedures need to be established."

"Indonesia aims to lead the charge in making the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) an automotive industry production house, an official says. The four main supplying countries are the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Only Malaysia has its own national car, while others produce for overseas brands.

Thailand and Indonesia host production centers for Toyota, Honda, BMW, Nissan, Ford and Suzuki. Indonesia also aims to develop component production for luxury cars, full production for cars with engine capacity under 1500 cc and car accessories, while other ASEAN member countries will produce other products. The position as the cooperative coordinator could also help Indonesia grow its local industries."

"As a barometer for economic soundness, the stock market in PRC has seen a continuous slump in recent years. People cannot help asking whether such a slump suggests the economy is having problems. The economy still relies heavily upon external demand. Under this mode, the government imposes heavy influences upon the prices of productive elements in order to lure direct foreign investment and keep the commodities competitive on the international market with low prices.

Currently, such a mode is challenged by both the shrinking demand and the rising prices of raw materials. A mature stock market should not only be a place for corporations to get financing. Investors put their money in the listed companies they choose in the hope of sharing the companies' business returns as shareholders."

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