The economic success of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the last 3 decades has brought with it new challenges. Rising wages and population aging mean that future growth needs to rely more on productivity improvement through industrial upgrading and innovation, and transition from...

Fragility that periodically erupts into a full-blown financial crisis appears to be an integral feature of market-based financial systems in spite of the emergence of sophisticated risk management tools and regulatory systems. If anything, the increased frequency of modern crises underscores how...

Myanmar, which is emerging from decades of isolation, is poised to accelerate its economic growth on the back of its abundant labor force, rich natural resources, and geographical location.But the country faces many development challenges to achieve strong and inclusive growth.To take advantage...

This study examines the potential of remittances for promoting economic growth and reducing poverty in Asian countries using data for more than 20 countries in the region for 1988-2007. The results indicate that remittances positively affect home country real gross domestic product (GDP) per...

This report summarizes key results from a 2012 survey of businesses in Papua New Guinea. It compares the results with the 2002 and 2007 surveys and shows that, while the business environment has improved since 2002, doing business in Papua New Guinea remains extremely challenging. Continued...

Cambodia's growth in the last 20 years has been remarkable and the lives of its people have improved substantially. But low-cost labour advantages on a narrow economic base have driven this growth. The country now needs to move beyond the four sectors that have dominated its economy: garment...