Pakistan is facing yet another balance of payment crisis. Authorities have taken some corrective measures and negotiated a 39-month stabilization program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Nonetheless, inflationary pressures increased during FY19. Current account deficit narrowed as...

Before the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, Somalia's economy was on an upward trajectory, recovering from the 2016/17 drought. The economy grew at an estimated rate of 2.9 percent in 2019, on par with population growth, and was projected to grow at 3.2 percent in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has...

As Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) approaches end 2015, this report takes stock of the progress to date and draws out lessons for the next stage of ASEAN's connectivity journey. The realization of an integrated ASEAN community demands connectedness vis improved and expanded...

This report is intended to support digital financial services (DFS) policymakers in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) and regulators endeavors, by providing a structured approach for the analysis of DFS and financial inclusion. It provides examples of how countries are...

Although economic linkages between South Asia and Southeast Asia have been strengthened over the past decade, integration between these two regions remains limited. Can new approaches to regional integration help revitalize trade and economic links between South Asia and Southeast Asia This...

This regional analytical activity will contribute to knowledge on the technical, operational, and financial viability and strategic partnership required among ASEAN countries to strengthen coordinated investments on the vaccine value chain. The ASA has three major activities: i) A deep-dive...

The Chinese insurance sector is experiencing rapid growth, posing particular challenges to effective supervision. The sector has been growing by over 20 percent a year and there are ambitious government targets for further development. Many individual, often newer, companies are growing at rates...

The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) has maintained its momentum in regulation and supervision in the face of exceptional growth in scale and increasing complexity of the banking system. Equally, the CBRC has risen to the demands of the international regulatory reform agenda,...

China has made significant progress in financial inclusion. High levels of account penetration, savings, and usage of payments services have been achieved, largely due to extensive branches and access points (particularly a vast network of rural cash withdrawal points), innovations by non-bank...