"India is already home to a quarter of the world's 20 most densely populated cities. Indian cities over the next two decades will also house 40 percent of the country's population and generate some 70 percent of new job opportunities. To cater to this growth, India needs to invest $1.2 trillion in capital expenditure, mainly infrastructure, over that period, an eight-fold increase of current spending levels.

India now spends $17 per capita on urban infrastructure, compared to China's $116. That figure is clearly inadequate. Haphazard growth has created inequity. Lack of affordable housing means India has the largest urban slum population in Asia. Mumbai boasts some of the world's priciest real estate but some 60 percent of its residents are homeless or live in slums."

"A decade ago Indonesia could be dismissed as the sick man of Asia, but hard-won economic and political stability has put the world's fourth most populous country back on the global investment radar screen. For the first time since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, Japan's rating agency upgraded Indonesian debt to investment grade this month.

There are also expectations that the world's three leading rating agencies -- Standard and Poor's, Fitch Ratings, and Moody's Investor Service -- will make similar moves soon, analysts said. Indonesia's economy is expected to grow six percent this year, compared with 4.5 percent in 2009, the fastest in the world after China and India. Investment, both foreign and domestic, rose 40 percent in the second quarter compared with the same period a year ago."

"Urbanization has become synonymous with China's modernization. The country's urban population will reach 52 percent in 2015 and grow to 65 percent by 2030. By the end of last year, the urbanization rate had already reached 46.6 percent, with 620 million people living in urban areas. A pro-active urbanization strategy has become popular both in academic and policymaking domains, because theoretically, it reduces farmers' population and prompts them to produce on larger scales and earn more.

But the government-driven urbanization could create a situation in which the countryside would be exploited further and the younger generation would become more dependent on their parents and elders. The migration of rural workers to urban areas is draining rural areas of their valuable human resources."

"Rural-urban migration is allowing Dhaka to grow faster than any other mega-cities in the world. Although official figures put the current population of Dhaka at 12.5 million, demographers say it will be more than 15 million and the city adds another 400,000 each year. One-third of Dhaka's population already huddle in slums and new migrants also end up in squatter habitats.

It is estimated that at least 131 slums in Dhaka were bulldozed by the authorities between 1975 and 2004. Korail -- arguably the country's biggest slum -- fans out over 100 acres of public land and it is slated for the largest slum-clearing ever since the demolition of Agargaon slum in 2004, where 45,000 residents lost their dwellings. Bangladesh is a rapidly urbanizing society and the current rate of growth hovers at 5.0 to 6.0 percent a year but campaigners say the country is yet to craft a policy to better manage urban centers."

"Singapore lies at the heart of Asia's growth for 2010. It is one of the region's most open economies, serving as a major financial center and an important production and research hub for pharmaceuticals and electronics. Another main driver of Singapore's economy is major government expenditures on infrastructure and buildings. This has lead to a cleaner and more tourist-friendly country.

The main concern is that stagnant or falling productivity will eventually lead to a static economy. To improve productivity, Singapore should invest more in education. As of now, Singapore invests roughly 2.9% of its GDP in education, a low number compared to other developed countries. The country tends to import foreign workers instead of investing in Singaporeans and nurturing talent."

"Social Services Minister Salim Segaf Al-Jufri said Wednesday that about 31.2 million or 13.33 percent of Indonesia's total population were classified in the poverty category. The number has fallen slightly from 32.5 million people recorded last year.

Low-income families are usually classified into three -- those above, on and under the poverty line. Individuals classified as living in poverty are those with incomes reaching only Rp 7,000 (about 70 US cents) per day."

"The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is determined to pursue the 'one caring and sharing community' identity. Aside from the ratification of its Charter by ASEAN's ten member countries, another demonstration of the collective decision is the Common Effective Preferential Tariffs- ASEAN Free Trade Area (CEPT-AFTA) which is now in effect.

ASEAN is banking on mutual assistance and cooperation among member countries to spur economic developments, establish regional stability, reduce poverty and promote respect for human rights. Recent developments at the ASEAN included the enhancement of roles of the Secretary General and ASEAN Foreign Ministers and the establishment of new bodies like the ASEAN Coordinating Council."

"China's banking regulator told lenders last month to conduct a new round of stress tests to gauge the impact of residential property prices falling as much as 60 percent in the hardest-hit markets. Previous stress tests carried out in the past year assumed home-price declines of as much as 30 percent.

The tougher assumption may underscore concern that last year's record $1.4 trillion of new loans fueled a property bubble that could lead to a surge in delinquent debts. Regulators have tightened real-estate lending and cracked down on speculation since mid-April, after residential real estate prices soared 68 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier."

"Asia region needs to consolidate and strengthen its sub-regional institutions so as to accelerate the realization of the Asian economic community, an expert says. The existing institutions are dense but 'light', characterized by very limited delegated authorities.

To strengthen the existing sub-regional institutions, member-countries should delegate more responsibilities and powers. Asian governments have generally been reluctant to delegate significant powers and responsibilities to sub-regional and regional bodies unless they see concrete advantages. Investing in stronger secretariats is another way to build the competence of these institutions."

"The wide variety of economic and trade conditions amongst the 16 Pacific Forum Island countries (FIC's) is one of the main challenges in negotiating regional trade agreements such as PACER Plus. Without a certain level of solidarity, economically weaker countries could succumb to bilateral pressures.

PACER Plus talks began in April this year, after the forum countries agreed to commit to negotiations at the 2009 Pacific leaders' meeting in Cairns, Australia. One of the four key priorities in PACER Plus talks in April was labor mobility, critical to countries such as Vanuatu and the Solomons."

"China has vowed to build three million affordable apartments in cities this year for low-income earners and those who currently live in shantytowns, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Another 2.8 million units will be built in rural areas. Building affordable housing could pick up the slack in China's massive construction sector, which employs about 250 million people and is a major contributor to GDP growth.

The central government has raised the minimum down payment on large homes and second mortgages, which has begun to curb runaway demand. Housing prices in China fell 0.1 per cent in June from the month before, the first price decline since February, 2009, and new construction is slowing considerably as both buyers and developers take a wait-and-see approach."

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