"New poverty estimates in India appear more realistic than the existing estimates. These new estimates represent a significant upward revision of poverty in the rural areas, and a small downward revision of poverty in the urban areas. As per the new method, the total number of poor people in India has risen from about 403 million in 1993-94 to about 407 million in 2004-05.

The Tendulkar report will reopen the debate on the impact of reforms on poverty. The Tendulkar Committee has pitched for a policy position that is stranded between the harsh realities of poverty in India and the fiscal conservativeness of a neo-liberal framework. The real challenge lies in preserving the positives from the report, and strongly persisting with the demand for a universal social security system."

"Reaction to the landmark trade pact signed between China and the 10 Asean members has been muted among local businessmen and trade experts, who are not giving the accord the same jubilant reception as politicians. They acknowledge that the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement -- which came into effect on Jan 1 -- is a big step towards regional trade liberalization, but fear obstacles such as corruption and red tape could well stop them from using it to its full potential.

Indonesian companies are already pushing to have tariff reductions delayed so as to cushion the impact on local industries. This has prompted concern that some governments may not follow through with tariff reductions and could renege on promises to open up specific sectors to investment."

"A 1,833-km pipeline carrying natural gas from Central Asia to Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang, will take another 10 days to provide a stable supply. As China's first large pipeline project to import natural gas, the China-Central Asia gas pipeline starts at the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan border and runs through central Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan to China.

Beijing's daily natural gas consumption hit a high of 53 million cubic meters this month, compared to the maximum 44 million cubic meters daily high set last winter. Daily gas supply via the Shaanxi-Beijing pipeline has been increased in order to ease Beijing's energy shortage."

"Shonal Chand, 16, has ditched school to work full time to assist his financially struggling family. He sells pineapples, watermelons and other local seasonal fruit by the roadside six days a week. Chand's family is only too happy he is able to bring home as much as $78 a week. The dropout rate from Fiji schools before the onset of the global financial crisis was as high as 66 percent, mainly because of poverty. There are concerns that the dropout rate may have worsened since the financial crisis struck.

Fiji's compulsory education age is 15, which is also the minimum legal age for work. The law also prohibits Fiji children below 18 from working during school hours. Just as in many developing countries with high levels of poverty and low levels of social welfare, child labor laws are either poorly enforced or ignored as strict implementation could lead to the affected family going without food. An estimated 43 percent of Fiji's population of 850,000 lives in poverty of varying degrees."

"Blindness has profound human and socioeconomic consequences. The costs of lost productivity and of rehabilitation and education of the blind constitute a significant economic burden for the individual, the family and society. In Bangladesh, it is estimated that there are about 550,000 cataract blind adults and 40,000 blind children in the country.

Socioeconomic studies have shown that the prevention and treatment of avoidable blindness promote and accelerate progress towards a broader global development agenda, such as the Millennium Development Goals. The cost of blindness due to lost productivity is estimated to be $350 million in 2008, and the cumulative loss over lifetime of the blind is $6 billion."

"Weavers in one of Cambodia's most famous silk villages say they face severe food shortages after the price of raw silk traded to the Kandal community doubled within a year. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of weavers have ceased work after the tradition became unprofitable.

Some of the worst off have had their houses seized and are now homeless. Muom Lon, 58, stopped weaving in November after 43 years. Her family members, like many, are now working in Phnom Penh garment factories. She estimates that the family of four's income has dropped from $300 to $400 a month to just $100."

"Trade in women's hair in Myanmar has boomed in the last five years as people look for a new way to make ends meet, particularly in the wake of the devastation wrought by cyclone Nargis. One healthy head of women's hair can sell for up to $35, a bonanza in a country where the average wage is less than $20 per month.

In the wake of cyclone Nargis in May 2008, economic recovery has been slow, with thousands of hectares of farmland still polluted by the salt water and adequate housing still denied to nearly 800,000 cyclone victims. While the country spends lucratively on infrastructural development, particularly hydropower and gas projects, the vast majority of the product is sold abroad, leaving nearly one-third of the population below the poverty line."

"The Philippines, one of Asia's biggest sovereign debt issuers, looks set to raise as much as $1.5 billion from a global bond sale this week, with the order book in Asia alone reaching at least twice that. Manila, rushing to be the first issuer in Southeast Asia this year, wants to tap foreign debt markets before uncertainty related to presidential elections in May pushes debt yields higher.

Neighbors Vietnam and Indonesia are also planning sovereign bond deals, hoping to benefit from a continued recovery in global investor appetite for higher yielding, higher risk assets. Vietnam could raise up to $1 billion via bonds with a maturity of 10 years or more, while Indonesia is planning to raise $3 billion to $4 billion within the next few weeks."

"President Yudhoyono has urged ministries and state agencies to start spending their budgets as early as possible to stimulate the economy, which is starting to recover from the global economic downturn. Indonesia aims to achieve 5.5 percent growth this year, up from the estimated 4.3 to 4.4 percent achieved in 2009.

The government plans to cut the rate of unemployment and poverty to below 8 percent and 13 percent respectively this year. Latest BPS data showed the unemployment rate stood at 7.87 percent in August 2009 and the poverty rate at 14.15 percent in May 2009."

"In June 1991, the government of India pawned 67 tons of gold to the Bank of England and the Union Bank of Switzerland to shore up its dwindling foreign exchange reserves. The U.S. dollar was in great demand. By November 2009, after nearly two decades of reforms and globalization, the shoe had moved to the other foot: India bought 200 tons of gold from the IMF. The country's reserves stood at $285 billion--compared with $2 billion in 1991--and the demand for greenbacks had dimmed.

These signs point to an upbeat outlook for the Indian economy in 2010 which, in the view of some observers, seems as bright as the gold the country has recently acquired. The year could see more gold purchases; India needs to diversify its basket of foreign assets, 90% of which is still in dollars. But foreign exchange reserves--once closely monitored--are the least of the country's problems right now. At the top of the agenda is inflation and its trade-off partner--growth."

"Indonesia recorded a 28 percent drop in realized foreign direct investment in 2009. Analysts said this showed that the nation had not escaped the impact of the global financial crisis, which hampered the ability of banks to supply the private sector with the cash needed for expansion.

When global economic growth fell, many business players suspended their expansion plans, causing the FDI figure to fall. But Indonesia recorded a near 72 percent increase in the realization of domestic investments in 2009."

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