This study explores several fundamental issues associated with the implementation of the fuel tax reform initiative in the People’s Republic of China and the improvement of the sustainability of the country’s highway programs. It identifies and explores high-level policy issues, options, and...

Mongolia’s growth is set to accelerate in the next decade, as its vast mining resources start to be put into large-scale production. This has greatly improved its prospects for prosperity and poverty reduction. However, to realize its full potential, Mongolia will need to transform its...

This report discusses some of the technical issues involved in formulating a multiannual fiscal strategy for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The strategy aims to achieve national growth and to reduce poverty, while maintaining sound government finances. It is important to address the...

Ensuring a secure supply of food is essential, given the world’s (and especially Asia’s) growing population, high and volatile food prices, increasingly scarce resources, and changing environment. This paper discusses the drivers behind food insecurity in Asia and points to ways to mitigate...

The Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators 2012 (FIGI 2012) is the follow-up edition to FIGI 2011, which proposed a set of 35 indicators as measures of income and non-income outcomes of inclusive growth; the processes and inputs that are important to improve access to opportunities, social...

The report describes the activities of the Asian Development Bank’s Office of Anticorruption and Integrity in 2011, particularly its awareness-raising activities, its work on case investigations, project procurement–related reviews, and due diligence. It includes a summary of significant...

Papua New Guinea’s economic growth has outpaced the majority of economies in Southeast Asia and the Pacific since 2007. Its development challenges, however, remain daunting, and it lags behind other countries in the region in terms of per capita income and achievement of the Millennium...

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...

The Japan Scholarship Program (JSP) was established in 1988 to provide well-qualified citizens of developing member countries an opportunity to undertake postgraduate studies in economics, management, science and technology, and other development-related fields at 27 educational institutions in...

This report presents the research initiative to explore an alternative methodology for extrapolating purchasing power parities (PPPs) for 21 participating economies in the Asia and Pacific region. The 2009 PPP Update provides an intermediate benchmark and more firmly based real expenditures and...