'Failure' has been a common theme of the introspective assessments made in the banking sector and of economies more generally since the onset of the global financial crisis. The authors of Why Nations Fail examine the differences between those countries that sink and those that swim.
Better urban planning, being cleaner, greener and more resilient, and sourcing more innovative financing are needed if Asia's cities are to cope with and benefit from a rapid phase of urbanisation, says the Asian Development Bank president Takehiko Nakao.
Socially responsible financing continues to play a key role in Bangladesh's financial sector. Focusing on inclusiveness and green funding has allowed the financial inclusion of the poorer segments of the population, while maintaining the country’s economic stability.
Former Maybank CEO and Malaysia's incumbent minister of financial affairs, Abdul Wahid Omar, talks to Stefania Palma about Malaysia’s decades-long quest for high-income status, describing how he is looking to achieve this goal while ensuring that the country's population feels the benefits of its economic rise.
The Chinese government is promising far-reaching economic reforms, but these are likely to put the financial sector under strain. Former chairman of the China Bank Regulatory Commission Liu Mingkang tells Philip Alexander how the authorities can manage the transition.
Supplying Asia's growing middle classes and industries with energy is a headache for governments throughout the region. However, given that 55% of the world's new residential construction from now until 2025 will occur in China and south Asia, designing smart, energy-efficient buildings will go a long way to solving this problem.
An ageing population and shrinking labour pool have put a strain on Singapore's economy, leading to calls for it to be restructured to raise productivity and bring about price stability. This will come through more productivity-led growth and a stronger focus on macroprudential policies.