"United Nations publication Rethinking Poverty underlines the need to open up a discourse on poverty reduction that centers on inclusive development and the ending of social exclusion. It affirms the urgent need for a strategic shift away from the market fundamentalist thinking, policies and practices of recent decades towards more sustainable development- and equity-oriented policies appropriate to national conditions and circumstances.

Responsible development and counter-cyclical macroeconomic policies to foster productive investments and generate decent employment must be at the core of this effort. The report makes a compelling case for rethinking poverty and poverty-reduction efforts, saying that over-reliance on market forces and economic liberalization have led to neglect of nationally designed and developmentally-oriented strategies, to the detriment of the world's poor."

"The key to breaking out of 'inherited poverty' is education. Yet, the Philippines has neglected providing full support for universal basic education and tools for self-help and self-learning. According to the United Nations, the Philippines are one of only three countries worldwide with a 10-year, basic education system. Even Laos and Mongolia have elected the 12-year system for elementary-high school levels.

Right now, too high a proportion of our education budget goes to state colleges and universities; and too much of the health budget goes to tertiary public hospitals. This means the very poor never get to benefit from budgeted social services funded by government. We should adopt a 'No Child-Out-of-School' policy to achieve basic education's MDG by 2015, and consider indexing the yearly budget for primary healthcare and education to GDP growth."

"South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Vietnam have approved the framework agreement to establish a new cross-border economic zone in the latest effort to further boost the economic and trade cooperation between China and its Southeast Asian neighbor. According to the initial plan, the new cross-border zone will cover about four square kilometers in Mong Cai city and about 5.8 kilometers in Dongxing in the first phase.

A second bridge will be built on Beilun River on the border between China and Vietnam as part of the new infrastructure to further boost border trade in the future Dongxing-Mong Cai economic zone. The current bridge, erected in 1958, can hardly meet the needs of significantly increasing passenger and cargo transportation with the establishment of the China-ASEAN FTA and rapid development of the Guangxi Beibu Bay economic zone."

"For a country plagued by a lengthy history of extreme poverty and gender discrimination, Bangladesh has surely come a long way. Thanks to education and microfinance programs, the role of women in the country has dramatically evolved over the last two decades, leading the United Nations Population Fund to conclude that 'if education were to be integrated on a massive scale with microfinance services for the very poor worldwide,' then the true potential of women will be recognized as they are offered 'a dignified route out of poverty.'

Narrowing the gender disparity gap, today more women are given the opportunity to enroll in primary and secondary schools, acquire the necessary resources to enter the labor force, and earn a living for themselves outside of the household. Bangladeshi women are measuring up to their male counterparts, and playing a significant role in promoting social change while furthering economic development in the poverty-stricken nation."

"India has reached a precarious stage where 25% of its potential arable land is now desert grade. Top soil erosion due to over exploitation and excessive farming is also rampant in Asia. Rapid industrialisation, road building, housing and climate change are the other factors that impact food production adversely. Food production and water availability are inter-linked issues.

By 2050, the global population is expected to touch 13 billion, but arable land and water resources are unlikely to keep pace with rising consumption. India has less than 5% of global fresh water resources. A rising population with increasing purchasing power will cause a long-term supply crunch. The remedies suggested so far -- imports, curbing speculation and fiscal tweaks -- are doomed to fail as they are grossly inadequate."

"The government is seriously tackling damaged roads and electricity shortages to enable local industries and SMEs to face the implications of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), a trade ministry official said. The government had also set up a special team to handle infrastructural problems for anticipating ACFTA's implications and opportunities for the Indonesian economy.

The ACFTA had been made effective since January 2010 but its implementation triggered a public debate. In response, President Yudhoyono recently admitted that renegotiating the implementation of ACFTA was needed to prevent the emergence of serious problems in the Indonesian economy. As of January 2010, the ACFTA is entering the Normal Track I phase, imposing a zero percent tariff on 7,306 products."

"Experts have reiterated that regional transport connectivity in South Asia will make Bangladesh a business hub with enormous potential for trade in services of ports, rail and road. At present, transport connectivity in South Asia remains fragmented and a consignment from Delhi takes around 30 to 45 days to reach Dhaka with a detour of Mumbai, Singapore and Chittagong by sea.

Regional and sub-regional connectivity by rail and road with India and landlocked Nepal and Bhutan will bring about a win-win situation for both Bangladesh and neighboring countries. However, it requires double tracking of the existing railway connection from Chittagong Port and development of high-speed national highways."

"From telemedicine to basic internet facility in rural areas, broadband connectivity and ICT technology have brought changes in the lives of ordinary citizens. Once obstacles to broadband adoption and fixed line infrastructure are removed, this new technology has the potential to revolutionize the daily lives. Bangladesh currently faces a number of obstacles to widespread broadband adoption, including availability of fixed line infrastructure, which remains poor, particularly outside urban areas.

The new 3G/HSPA based networks could be a new ray of light for the poor of the country, which can provide access to better healthcare, enable distance learning and government initiatives, among other things. Broadband connectivity and ICT technology are important tools for socio-economic progress in developing countries. Rural residents can also acquire employment skills through online training over the 3G/HSPA network, explore new job opportunities, receive micro-loans and other banking services, as well as call relatives and friends overseas at low rates."

"The United Nations estimates that there are around 250,000 street children in 65 cities around the Philippines. Metro Manila alone has about 85,000 street children. Because of their age, children are one of the most vulnerable sectors in society. They are therefore more likely to be employed in the informal sector with lower earnings and less social protection.

To develop the habit of saving and proper money management among children in public elementary schools, the country's central bank and Department of Education has launched a financial education program. Other NGOs have been operating microfinance and savings programs for the urban poor communities, including children. Teaching street children to save for the rainy days is just the first step. They also help beneficiaries of the financial education program to help them find a more stable source of income instead of what they are doing on the streets."

"Increasing foreign currency income and improving Indonesia's infrastructure would be the most effective ways for the government to achieve an 'investment grade' rating on its debt, economists said. International rating agencies want to see Indonesia demonstrate seriousness in improving infrastructure and solving infrastructure-development problems. Infrastructure development is the key to the country attaining an upgrade to investment grade.

The government has made developing the national infrastructure a top priority, and last month announced the formation of a $3.4 billion development fund. However, the primary problem, vague and often conflicting regulations on the acquisition of land for development projects, has yet to be solved."

Please share this e-newsline with others interested in the development of Asia-Pacific.

For questions, comments, complaints please visit our online contact form

To change your email address or to unsubscribe from ADBI e-newsline please visit:
http://www.adbi.org/e-newsline/subscribe.php

Sign-up for ADBI's free e-notification service to ensure you receive an e-mail when we post new publications and opportunities.

The stories and links selected and the views expressed in e-Newsline are those of the authors and editors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the ADB Institute. The Institute does not endorse them and accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any consequences of their use. Original name usage is retained in quoted articles, although it may not necessarily follow ADB naming conventions.