Download or read book South Asia Pension Forum written by Cheolsu Kim and published by Asian Development Bank. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 83 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Income insecurity in old age is likely to be one key cause of increased poverty in South Asia, and setting up systems to avert this crisis should be a central public policy goal of each country. Several countries in the region are therefore beginning to evaluate a range of policy options for pension reforms. Given the remarkable similarity of each country in terms of demography, labor markets, and political structures, lessons from both success and failure in pension policy design and implementation are highly portable from one country to another within the region. This publication proposes the establishment of a South Asia Pension Forum that is intended to foster and support intensive policy analysis, research, and consultation on pension reforms and social security within the region.

Download or read book Pensions at a Glance Asia Pacific written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2009-01-08 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The report analyses the retirement income systems of 18 Asian countries, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam. It says that reform is needed because: coverage of formal pension systems is relatively ...

Download or read book Assessing Fiscal Risks in Bangladesh written by Leandro Medina and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper identifies, quantifies, and assesses fiscal risks in Bangladesh. By performing sensitivity analysis and using stochastic simulations, it measures risks arising from shocks to GDP growth, the exchange rate, commodity prices, and interest rates. It also analyzes specific fiscal and institutional risks, such as those related to the pension system, the issuance of guarantees, the state-owned commercial banks, and the external borrowing and debt management strategy. The paper finds that fiscal aggregates are particularly sensitive to shocks to commodity prices and exchange rates. Other factors that could affect fiscal aggregates are the unfunded pension system and the limited institutional capacity.

Download or read book Inclusive Development in South Asia written by Toshie Awaya and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2022-12-30 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the multi-layered aspects and the complexities of inclusive development in South Asia based on recent data and using innovative methodology. The book offers an analysis of the existing ground realities in terms of economic and inclusive development, presenting relevant discussion and findings. It discusses lower castes, tribes, religious/ethnic minorities, and other socially vulnerable people, as well as gender, rural–urban, and educational disparities in South Asia, and highlights that all these issues are interrelated. Structured in two parts—Spatial Dimensions, Labour, and Migration, and Social Dimensions and Beyond Inclusion—the chapters present emerging new concepts related to socio-economic and inclusive development and use effective and valid methods and methodology covering the ground realities-based information and secondary data-based analysis. Evaluating the extent to which inclusive development has been realised in South Asia, the contributors explore a new approach towards the concept of ‘inclusiveness’ by drawing on the experiences of the diverse societies in South Asia. An immensely useful contribution to the analysis of different economic and social issues in different countries in South Asia, focusing on inclusivity, this book will be of interest to researchers working on South Asian Politics and Development Economics.

Download or read book Connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia written by ADBI and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report analyzes how closer regional connectivity and economic integration between South Asia and Southeast Asia can benefit both regions, with a focus on the role played by infrastructure and public policies in facilitating this process. It examines major developments in South Asian–Southeast Asian trade and investment, economic cooperation, the role of economic corridors, and regional cooperation initiatives. In particular, it identifies significant opportunities for strengthening these integration efforts as a result of the recent opening up of Myanmar in political, economic, and financial terms. This is particularly the case for land-based transportation—highways and railroads—and energy trading. The report’s focus is on connectivity in a broad sense, covering both hardware and software, including investment in infrastructure, energy trading, trade facilitation, investment financing, and support for national and regional policies.

Download or read book Exports to Jobs written by Erhan Artuc and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2019-02-25 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: South Asia has grown rapidly with significant reductions in poverty, but it has not been able to match the fast-growing working age population, leading to lingering concerns about jobless growth and poor job quality. Could export growth in South Asia result in better labor market outcomes? The answer is yes, according to our study, which rigorously estimates—using a new methodology—the potential impact from higher South Asian exports per worker on wages and employment over a 10-year period. Our study shows the positive side of trade. It finds that increasing exports per worker would result in higher wages—mainly for better-off groups, like more educated workers, males, and more-experienced workers—although less-skilled workers would see the largest reduction in informality. How can the benefits be spread more widely? Our study suggests that scaling up exports in labor-intensive industries could significantly lower informality for groups like rural and less-educated workers in the region. Also, increasing skills, and participation of women and young workers in the labor force could make an even bigger dent in informal employment. The region could achieve these gains by: (i) boosting and connecting exports to people (e.g., removing trade barriers and investment in infrastructure); (ii) eliminating distortions in production (e.g., by more efficient allocation of inputs); and (iii) protecting workers (e.g., by investing in education and skills).

Download or read book Social Security for the Elderly written by S. Irudaya Rajan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-07-16 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book overviews the issue of population ageing in five countries in South Asia and projects the emerging scenarios. With a new field survey, it also documents existing policies and programs on pensions and social security, and examines their fiscal implications for the economy and society. Ageing of population is an inevitable consequence of the process of demographic transition. Being ahead, the developed regions of the world have long experienced its consequences; but the developing world is only now facing the travails of population ageing. Though the population under the age of 15 years in 2000 was estimated to be 3.3 times the size of the population of 60 years and above, the elderly are expected to surpass the number of children under 15 years by the year 2050. Among the elderly, it is the oldest old—those aged 80 years or more, whose numbers would increase most rapidly. Much of this growth would take place in the poor countries of the world. Five South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal) account for 100 million elderly persons in the beginning of 21st century and it is expected to reach 400 million in 2050. What are the fiscal implications of this tremendous growth for sustaining pensions and social security schemes in South Asia? Are these countries in need of pension reforms? Would these countries be able to provide good health care for the growing population of elderly persons afflicted by multiple diseases and disability? Experts from leading economic research institutions address the issue with a new survey conducted in each country. The book, in effect: Assesses the ageing scenario in five countries in South Asia: past, present, and future; Reviews existing policies and programs on pensions and social security for the elderly; Reports the findings of a sample survey in each of these countries conducted for this work in order to assess the nature, magnitude, and adequacy of various forms of pensions and social assistance; Suggests broad-based comprehensive pension and social security policies in South Asia. .

Download or read book Violence against Women and Girls written by Jennifer L. Solotaroff and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2014-09-04 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report documents the dynamics of violence against women in South Asia across the life cycle, from early childhood to old age. It explores the different types of violence that women may face throughout their lives, as well as the associated perpetrators (male and female), risk and protective factors for both victims and perpetrators, and interventions to address violence across all life cycle stages. The report also analyzes the societal factors that drive the primarily male — but also female — perpetrators to commit violence against women in the region. For each stage and type of violence, the report critically reviews existing research from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, supplemented by original analysis and select literature from outside the region. Policies and programs that address violence against women and girls are analyzed in order to highlight key actors and promising interventions. Finally, the report identifies critical gaps in research, program evaluations, and interventions in order to provide strategic recommendations for policy makers, civil society, and other stakeholders working to mitigate violence against women in South Asia.

Download or read book Adaptive Social Protection written by Thomas Bowen and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2020-06-12 with total page 155 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adaptive social protection (ASP) helps to build the resilience of poor and vulnerable households to the impacts of large, covariate shocks, such as natural disasters, economic crises, pandemics, conflict, and forced displacement. Through the provision of transfers and services directly to these households, ASP supports their capacity to prepare for, cope with, and adapt to the shocks they face—before, during, and after these shocks occur. Over the long term, by supporting these three capacities, ASP can provide a pathway to a more resilient state for households that may otherwise lack the resources to move out of chronically vulnerable situations. Adaptive Social Protection: Building Resilience to Shocks outlines an organizing framework for the design and implementation of ASP, providing insights into the ways in which social protection systems can be made more capable of building household resilience. By way of its four building blocks—programs, information, finance, and institutional arrangements and partnerships—the framework highlights both the elements of existing social protection systems that are the cornerstones for building household resilience, as well as the additional investments that are central to enhancing their ability to generate these outcomes. In this report, the ASP framework and its building blocks have been elaborated primarily in relation to natural disasters and associated climate change. Nevertheless, many of the priorities identified within each building block are also pertinent to the design and implementation of ASP across other types of shocks, providing a foundation for a structured approach to the advancement of this rapidly evolving and complex agenda.

Download or read book Congressional Record written by United States. Congress and published by . This book was released on 1965 with total page 1478 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published daily when Congress is in session. The Congressional Record began publication in 1873. Debates for sessions prior to 1873 are recorded in The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (1789-1824), the Register of Debates in Congress (1824-1837), and the Congressional Globe (1833-1873)

Download or read book Handbook of Asian Aging written by Hyunsook Yoon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-26 with total page 342 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In western countries, the rising tide of population aging took 100 years to alter the face of societies, but Asia is experiencing comparable changes in not much more than a quarter of a century. Contributors to "The Handbook of Aging" describe the magnitude of these changes and their effects on the aged and on societies attempting to adapt to the dramatic improvements in life expectancy brought on by rapid economic and social transformations. Asia encompasses a vast reach from Pakistan and India to Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia, and in this book including Australia. "The Handbook of Aging" provides a framework for making sense of the meeting between reverential views of the elderly and contemporary priorities as Asia arrives at the crossroads. The need for innovative approaches to social policy and personal practices is nowhere more evident than in Asian countries, where modern marketing economies have forced hard political choices. The economic tigers of the Asian-Pacific region experienced the aging of their populations ahead of other Asian countries, but solutions reached during times of financial boom are being re-examined as economies come back to earth, with soft or hard landings. "The Handbook of Asian Aging" provides an atlas of the far-reaching changes that are afoot and that will become even more pronounced in the near future.

Download or read book ADB and Social Protection written by Asian Development Bank and published by Asian Development Bank. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social protection is central to the goal of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) of achieving the inclusive growth agenda in Asia and the Pacific. The report takes stock of ADB's support for social protection and the progress with implementing ADB's Social Protection Strategy. It presents the institution's social protection interventions from 1996 up to 2013.

Download or read book Pensions Panorama Retirement Income Systems in 53 Countries written by Whitehouse Edward and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2007-02-13 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reforming pensions in a fiscally and socially sustainable way is a central issue in developing and developed countries alike. This report, produced in collaboration by the OECD and the World Bank, addresses some of the key questions underlying the ...

Download or read book Infrastructure for a Seamless Asia written by Asian Development Bank and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study examines major challenges and issues associated with developing regional infrastructure through the fostering of regional cooperation in Asia, and provides a framework for pan-Asian infrastructure cooperation. The study's long-term vision is the creation of a seamless Asia (an integrated region connected by world-class, environmentally friendly infrastructure) in terms of both "hard" (physical) and "soft" (facilitating) infrastructure. The soft part supports the development and operation of the hard component. Findings indicate that the benefits of upgrading and extending Asia's infrastructure networks are substantial, and that all countries in the region would benefit. A logistics network is only as good as its weakest link; each country in a regional supply chain gains from infrastructure improvements made in others. Improving connectivity in the region would bring Asia large welfare gains through increased market access, reduced trade costs, and more efficient energy production and use. According to the study, to achieve this Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in overall national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are already in the pipeline

Download or read book Pension Systems and Old Age Income Support in East and Southeast Asia written by Donghyun Park and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Old age income support will be one of the biggest social and economic challenges facing Asia in the twenty-first century. The growing spotlight on old age income support is largely due to exceptionally rapid population aging which is fundamentally reshaping Asia’s demographic profile. A young continent reaping the demographic dividend of a large youthful workforce is giving way to a greying continent where the ratio of retirees to workers is on the rise. In contrast to industrialized countries, most Asian countries do not yet have mature, well-functioning pension systems. As a result, they are ill prepared to provide economic security for the large number of retirees who loom on the region’s horizon. This book takes a close look at the pension systems of eight countries in East and Southeast Asia – namely, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – which encompass a wide range of income and development levels. The book provides a comprehensive overview of pension systems in the eight countries, including an in-depth diagnosis to identify their major weaknesses and shortcomings. On the basis of the diagnosis, the book sets forth concrete and specific policy options for reforming Asia’s pension systems. Many policy options for reform are country-specific. For example, a top priority in China is to extend the pension system to rural areas. At the same time, a number of reforms – such as the need to extend coverage – resonate across the entire region. Appropriate reform will enable the region’s pension systems to deliver affordable, adequate and sustainable old-age economic security.

Download or read book Public Administration in South Asia written by Meghna Sabharwal and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-09-25 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A state-of-the-art, one-stop resource, Public Administration in South Asia: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan examines public administration issues and advances in the Indian subcontinent. The book fulfills a critical need. These nations have the largest public administration programs in South Asia, yet existing knowledge on them is fragmented at best. Bringing together leading scholars from these countries, this book provides both an insider perspective and a scholarly look at the challenges and accomplishments in the region. Focusing on the machinery of government, the book explores questions such as: What is the history of public administration development? How are major decisions made in the agencies? Why are anti-corruption efforts so much a challenge? What is the significance of intergovernmental relations? What is the success of administrative reform? What are examples of successful social development programs? How successful is e-government, and what are its challenges? Why is civil service reform difficult to achieve? How is freedom of information being used as a means to combat corruption and invoke grassroots activism? What can be learned from the successes and failures? While public administration practice and education have become considerably professionalized in the last decade, a sufficiently in-depth and well-rounded reference on public administration in these countries is sorely lacking. Most available books tackle only aspects of public administration such as administrative reforms, civil service, economic developments, or public policy, and are country specific. None provide the in-depth analysis of the sphere of public action in South Asia found in this book. It supplies an understanding of how public administration can be either the source of, or solution to, so many of the problems and achievements in the Indian subcontinent.

Download or read book Invested Interests written by Bret Benjamin and published by U of Minnesota Press. This book was released on with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the World Bank’s profound impact on economic, political, and social conditions during the post–World War II era, cultural critics who rigorously theorize other institutions of colonialism and globalization have largely ignored the institution. Working to correct this blind spot, Bret Benjamin’s Invested Interests presents the first extended cultural analysis of the World Bank. In Invested Interests, Benjamin contends that the World Bank has, from its inception, trafficked in culture. From the political context in which the Bank was chartered to its evolution into an interventionist development agency with vast, unchecked powers, Benjamin explores the Bank’s central role in the global dissemination of Fordist-Keynesianism, its conflicted support for nationalism and the nation-state, and its emerging awareness of the relationships between economics and culture. Benjamin argues that the Bank shapes, and is in turn shaped by, historical pressures of the age—most significantly the rise of third world national liberation movements. Reading a broad array of midcentury archival materials, Benjamin examines not only the Bank’s own growing attentiveness to cultural work but also its prominent place in the thinking of such anti-imperialist intellectuals as Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, and Richard Wright. Benjamin maps the Bank’s contemporary rhetorical maneuvering in the wake of ever-intensifying protests, offering close readings of the World Bank’s corporate literature, the activities of the antiglobalization World Social Forum, and the writings of prominent Bank critic Arundhati Roy, including her novel The God of Small Things. Deftly investigating the World Bank’s ideological struggles over six decades, Invested Interests develops a conceptually and politically nuanced critique of the Bank as a cultural institution deeply enmeshed in the last century’s historical transformations of imperial power and anti-imperial struggle. Bret Benjamin is associate professor of English and director of undergraduate studies at the University of Albany, SUNY.