In the context of production linkages in which downstream producers require freight services provided by transport operators, I show that the strategic choice of using an alternative transport mode does not necessarily induce lower access charges, relative to the standard transport mode....

This paper looks at the development and transformation of the People's Republic of China (PRC)'s financial system since the start of economic and financial reforms in 1978. It describes how despite the rapid development of capital markets since the 1990s, the PRC's financial system continues to...

Placing the Asian economies onto a sustainable development pathway requires an unprecedented shift in investment away from greenhouse gas, fossil fuel and natural resource intensive industries towards more resource efficient technologies and business models. The financial sector will have to...

This paper presents the findings of a survey among 18 central banks from Asia and the Pacific regarding their views on and policies regarding sustainable finance. It also reviews recent developments in selected Asia and Pacific countries concerning sustainable finance to illustrate the actions...

A growing literature is investigating the nature and size of the disparities in the performance of firms led by men and women. The extant literature in this regard is inconclusive and provides support for both the women's under-performance hypothesis and the superior performance of women-led...

The aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the structural change effects or labor reallocation effects on the regional disparity in productivity growth in India and the People's Republic of China (PRC). The paper uses secondary data at the state level in India and provinces in the...

This paper attempts to distinguish and estimate the direct and indirect effects of infrastructure on firm productivity. The latter arises from the infrastructure-agglomeration link and has been largely overlooked in the literature on infrastructure. An analytical framework is then developed to...

The building and construction sectors contribute about 38% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and account for 35% of the total energy consumption. With the growing population (especially in developing Asia) and increasing income, the demand for construction and building will continue to rise,...

I analyze the risks in the banking systems in East Asia using the standard supervisory framework, which assesses capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, and liquidity (CAMEL), I find that banking systems in the region are sound, but that the short-term outlook is negative. Second,...

This paper is an attempt to explain the changes to finance sector reforms under the Dodd-Frank Act in the United States and Basel III requirements globally; their unintended consequences; and lessons for currently fast-growing emerging markets concerning finance sector reforms, government...