"The institutional context of the banking system can hardly be over-emphasized. In today's modern economy, confidence in the banking sector is critical for economic and social stability. Lack of confidence and or poor performance can cause economic havoc. Financial sector performance is well recognized as a major determinant of the growth of the private sector in any modern economy. International evidence shows that over the longer term economic development and the maturity of the financial sector are strongly correlated.

In low-income developing economies, the financial sector typically tends to be dominated by banking enterprises. Non-bank financial institutions and capital markets normally tend to be at an evolutionary stage. So, much of the financing for private enterprises is typically provided by the banking sector. This situation is also representative of Bangladesh. For example, as of December 2008, the banking sector accounted for over 80 percent of the country's financial assets. Consequently, the performance of the banking sector is a key determinant of the growth of the private sector."

"Among poor patients who buy health insurance, those who suffer from dangerous chronic diseases are among the most influenced by new regulations demanding they pay 5 percent of hospital fees. The longer the treatment process is, the more fees they have to pay. According to the new law on health Insurance, the pay from the health insurance fund for hi-tech health services is restricted to 26 million dong ($1400) per process.

In fact, some critical diseases (cancer or cardiovascular diseases) require hi-tech services worth dozens of millions of dong per treatment phase so the expense is huge. After deducting 26 million dong paid by the health insurance fund, patients will have to pay the remaining sum. While the Ministry of Health has confirmed it would not let patients die because of a lack of money, patients have had to stop treatment and wait because they don't have money."

"An Australian investment fund is planning to inject US$600 million into Cambodia's agricultural sector. The fund would focus on rice, bananas and sugar, he said, bringing in major multinational agro-technology firms and investors in a bid to add value to the country's farming sector.

With good soil, water supply and land availability, Cambodia is well-positioned as a destination for foreign agricultural firms. Opportunities for new arable land have diminished in recent years as demand for food rises with the increase in the world's population."

"War refugees have found little left of their old lives as they trickle back to their villages in the former Tamil Tiger stronghold eight months after Sri Lankan forces crushed the rebel group. The government says the returnees are getting food rations and money to help them out, but conceded it was not enough. Kilinochchi today looks like a garrison town with dozens of military camps, large and small, every few hundred meters and soldiers patrolling the streets.

No building is without damage and the streets are nearly empty, because only 8,000 of the district's estimated 120,000 pre-war residents have returned. The returnees receive a resettlement package of $250 from the United Nations refugee agency, six months of food rations, 12 tin roof sheets and a tent. Returnees say the resettlement package is not enough for them to make the needed investments in cleaning up and replanting their farms or restarting businesses."

"The easing of visa restrictions has seen an employment bonanza as a total of 33,000 new jobs for Filipinos where created last year after more than 400 foreign businessmen and their dependents from 34 countries were given indefinite visas by the government. The government also collected fees of more than P5 million from the foreigners who availed of the newly introduced special visa for employment generation (SVEG). The foreigners have investments, and in some cases, are expatriates employed by 185 businesses operating throughout the country.

Most of the SVEG holders are based in Metro Manila where 107 foreigners availed themselves of the visa, followed by Cebu and Region VII where 35 applied. Under the rules, the SVEG is issued to a foreigner with an interest in a company or entity that employs at least 10 full-time and regular Filipinos workers either for managerial, executive, professional, technical, skilled, or unskilled positions."

"The Indian labor ministry has proposed inclusion of all jobs in the Minimum Wages act with an aim to benefit all 340 million workers in the unorganized sector. The amendment proposes that every worker be paid the higher of the two -- lowest wage fixed for an unskilled worker or the National Floor Level Minimum Wage -- for 'any employment other than that covered in the Schedule.'

On average, unorganized sector workers do not earn more than Rs 50 ($1.09) per day while the national ceiling for the minimum wage, last revised in November, is Rs 100. The wages would have to be revised every two years if a state does not provide an allowance that is reviewed every six months."

"A certain degree of euphoria seems to have spread through the government about producing biofuel from palm oil. Government schemes are under way to double palm oil production by 2020, mostly through an expansion of plantation areas. Palm oil, a labor-intensive product, is promoted by President Yudhoyono as a path to leading millions out of poverty. Over 40 percent of oil palms are cultivated by 3.5 million smallholders.

The National Palm Oil Association says expanding plantation land from the current 10 million hectares to 12 million hectares can provide livelihoods for an additional five million people, almost one-sixth of the country's poor. Furthermore, palm oil production is centered in rural areas with high-unemployment and does not require any substantial new skills."

"Pakistan's economic freedom score is 55.2, making its economy the 117th freest in the 2010 Index. Its score is 1.8 points lower than last year, mainly due to reductions in investment freedom and labor freedom. Pakistan has pursued reforms to improve its entrepreneurial environment and facilitate private-sector development. The financial sector has undergone modernization and restructuring and has weathered the global financial crisis relatively well. Yet Pakistan lags significantly behind other countries in the region.

Challenges to Pakistan's overall economic freedom include a wide range of institutional weaknesses. Trade freedom remains burdened by high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. The tax system is complex and inefficient, though reforms to cut tax rates, broaden the tax base, and increase transparency have been undertaken."

"PRC's energy sector can be said to have handed in a satisfactory report in the course of responding to the global financial crisis, and so the nation's energy industry has reportedly entered the world's advanced ranks in term of both quantity and quality. In the past year, China has adopted measures to turn 'adversity into opportunity.'

The industry has taken a view for long-term development and make big efforts to boost demand for domestic growth. A total of 20 nuclear power generating units are currently under construction. It has also seized the opportunity to step up energy structure adjustment and to do away with outmoded production capacity. By the end of 2009, China had closed the small power-generating units with a total of 60.06 million kilowatts, which could save 64 million tons of raw coal and reduce 128 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions."

"The auto industry in India may turn into a buyer's market by 2012. This is because consumers are set to get spoilt for choice with the variety of competing products slated to be launched in the next few years. There is, however, a lingering fear that the capacity addition across the industry may lead to a far higher supply growth than demand, which is expected to grow only by 10-12 percent.

This, however, may just be to the benefit of the consumer, as with increased competition across segments, manufacturers are expected to price products even more competitively. Demand is only expected to grow by 10-12 percent every year. In 2009, the domestic auto industry was utilizing 80-85 percent of its capacity, but this may drop to 65 percent by 2012."

"Education, science and innovation are the three ingredients required for Indonesia to make the leap from emerging economy to full-fledged developed nation. President Yudhoyono clearly put his government's support behind the push to develop more scientists in this country and to use innovation to foster economic growth.

The president outlined 10 facets of technology that he would like to encourage: pro-poor technology, green technology, agricultural technology, industrial technology, health, maritime, defense, transportation, energy and nanotechnology. To back his words, he has committed to double the government's budget for research and development to Rp 1.9 trillion ($205.2 million) this year."

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