"Despite legislation designed to encourage mortgages in Uzbekistan, the market has been slow to take off because banks are hampered by a lack of capital and unprofitable lending rates, in an environment in which few members of the public can afford to take out a loan, experts say.

Lenders were granted a number of temporary tax breaks and instructed to seek new sources of investment. Borrowers were required to provide collateral, and the annual interest was set at a low five percent. However, local observers say these measures did not help the banks to build up their capital reserves, and these lenders had little interest in granting mortgages for such low returns."

"Low-income families living along the heavily-polluted Kalimas River, which divides the densely-populated city of Surabaya, can now live healthier thanks a new system which recycles household waste into clean, potable water. Thanks to the installation, local people, who are mostly construction workers with daily incomes of $2.1 per day, no longer need to use the river water for bathing, drinking and cooking.

Once all houses have installed their own device, residents will no longer need to dump their waste into the river. This will decrease their risk of disease and at the same time they will be preserving the environment. Clean water has been a chronic problem in the city for a long time. Low-income families have inadequate purchasing power due to constantly increasing prices of fuels, basic commodities, education and health care."

"Papua New Guinea (PNG) has not seen any major improvements in its health service delivery indicators despite strong economic growth for several years. After more than five years since a sector-wide approach (SWAP) for health was established, there has not been a significant, sustained improvement in health service delivery or outcomes.

Problems included funds not getting to where they were needed in a timely way, regular shortages of medical supplies, lack of staff at aid posts and lack of maintenance of health facilities. The recent establishment of the health sector steering committee was a crucial step for achieving co-ordination and synergy in the sector."

"Bangladesh faces great challenges in coping with the infrastructure and service requirements of its growing population. Access to food, sanitation, pure drinking water, healthcare, education and social security are obviously inadequate in both urban and rural areas of the country. Poverty still remains a major environmental concern. Over 40 percent of the population live in abject poverty.

It is critical to check population growth to achieve sustainable development. Bangladesh will be able to manage its scarce resources in a sustainable way with continued political commitment and with the help of public and private sector bodies, NGOs, civil society, the media and the people at the grassroots level who have been managing the resources."

"Now that PRC is in a period of steady economic development, we should not let slip the historical chances for scientific development. Instead we should lay out a reasonable program for scientific, technological and educational development.

We should work harder to develop into a scientific and technological world power through improving our financial input, talents cultivation and research mechanism. In pursuing the reform of the scientific research and development system, we should set up a department that is independent of group interests and can coordinate and monitor the country's overall scientific development."

"Transportation was seen as one major factor holding back regional development in Northeast Asia. As a major player in the Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo, Chinese enterprises play a pivotal role in Northeast Asia economic cooperation. The Northeast Asia Investment and Trade Expo aims to establish a long-term platform for China and the other Northeast Asian countries to exchange ideas and come up with mutually beneficial solutions.

As an inland country, Mongolia is mindful of communication and transportation needs between it and other Northeast Asia countries. Rail transportation directly relates to Mongolia's tourism industry, export revenue, regional development, and social and economic development."

"Increased demand for goods and services in Indonesia during Ramadan creates an economic dynamism. Those working in the food and beverage industry, textiles and garments as well as the transportation sector, directly benefit from this increased demand. But, it is worrying that the supply side of the economy often cannot satisfy these sudden, but anticipated, increases in demand.

Because of constraints on the supply side, which cannot adjust easily to sudden increases in demand, the Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations traditionally result in higher inflation. To prevent inflation from spiraling at this time, it is important for the government and the central bank, to manage public perceptions and expectations on inflation."

"Bangladesh's dependence on foreign aid has declined steadily over the last several decades, and the pace of decline has accelerated in recent years. From the high levels close to 10 percent of GDP in the 1970s and 1980s, foreign aid now accounts for only 2.5 percent of GDP. In the overall macro-economic context, foreign aid is relatively modest as a source of external financing.

Certainly Bangladesh needs highly concessional financing to fund its growing social and infrastructure needs. The development of alternative sources of funding for the budget over the medium term, including increased revenue mobilization, will reduce aid dependence as well as create more options for funding projects and programs deemed necessary from national perspective."

"Prices of several key commodities will decline by 5-10 percent in Viet Nam in September, according to the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade. Several cooking gas trading companies lowered the price of each 12 kilo canister in response to global prices falling $55 per ton last month.

Prices of construction steel have also gone down in recent weeks. With the fall of raw material prices globally, the lower rate of the US dollar domestically made several goods, especially imported ones, cheaper. Last month's two fuel price drops sent several companies re-adjusting the prices of their commodities and services for the near future."

"In a bid to reduce the risks of seasonal floods in 2008, the Afghan government has spent about $1.5 million on thousands of gabion boxes. Gabions are large metal boxes/cages which can be filled with stone and/or gravel and placed on river banks and other locations to work as flood-resistant walls.

Local people in Behsood District of Nangarhar Province said gabion boxes had helped defend their houses and land against flooding on several occasions this year. However, several locals in another vulnerable province, Daykundi, did not rate their effectiveness, citing reasons for their alleged failure."

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