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Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends brief 2022/2023 : Singapore
No full textThis brief covers recent trends and developments in trade and investment. It has been produced as an accompaniment to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023.</p
SDG 7: Affordable and clean energy
No full textAcross the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the greatest progress made in the Asia-Pacific region has been towards Goal 7. There has been considerable success in providing electricity access to urban and rural populations. South and South-West Asia performed exceptionally on electricity access, which helped accelerate progress on SDG 7. There has also been increased international financial support flowing to developing countries for research and development on clean energy, renewable energy production and the electrification of transport. Nevertheless, renewable energy as a share of total energy consumption in the region declined and has remained relatively static. While the region has made significant progress on affordable and clean energy, the pace has been too slow to reach the 2030 goal.
In addition, while the target of universal access to electricity by 2030 is on track, reaching the remaining 125 million people in mostly rural areas and poorer countries will require more intense efforts by national governments and a wide set of stakeholders, especially the private sector. Energy is intrinsically interconnected with most other SDGs and is essential to enable poverty reduction, food security, health, education, water and more. Indeed, 125 of 169 targets – two thirds of all targets – included in the SDGs are linked to energy.1 One such interlinkage, particularly important to the Asia-Pacific region, is energy and air pollution. The increased consumption of energy, especially fossil fuels, has significant local and regional social and environmental consequences and costs. For example, air pollution is disrupting people’s health and adversely affecting the growth potential of entire cities and economies.</p
Policy approaches for financial inclusion : an examination of approaches across Asia and the Pacific and Latin America
Get PDFThis report was prepared as part of the work of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the Agencia Presidencial de Cooperación Internacional de Colombia (APC-Colombia) to support Governments in Asia and the Pacific and Latin America to promote policy making for inclusive and sustainable economies.
This publication focuses on policies to advance financial inclusion of women, rural communities, and MSMEs in countries across the two regions. The objective is to inform potential future South-South dialogue and collaboration between policymakers in Latin America and Asia-Pacific on financial inclusion. This report may be particularly useful for policymakers in Asia and the Pacific and in Latin America while also providing valuable insights for policymakers globally.</p
Paperless trade finance and payments : 9 case studies
Get PDF80% or more of the USD 25 trillion in annual merchandise trade conducted annually depends on some form of trade financing – including paper-and process-intensive traditional mechanisms, evolving supply chain finance solutions and a range of risk mitigation solutions. While there have been aspirations to digitalize trade financing, for at least three decades, the combination of technological capability, legal recognition, market demand and other enabling factors is just now showing signs of significant momentum. Work by ESCAP, UNCITRAL, ADB, and ICC DSI, along with numerous market players is combining to create the conditions that put the digitalization of trade finance and trade more broadly within reach.
This paper contains 9 case studies which illustrate the range of contexts, transaction types and stakeholders involved in practical, substantive ways in the digitalization of trade financing and international trade. These point to a range of transactions that prove the feasibility of digitizing trade and various forms of trade financing, as well as show critically important progress in digitally enabling compliance against a range of regulatory requirements. Solutions which combine physical and financial supply chain considerations, target financing to underserved SMEs (especially those based in emerging markets), and illustrate the importance of contributions by non-banks, FinTechs and multilaterals add important dimensions to the digitization of trade finance and trade.</p
The future of employment in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand : demographic and labour market trends of ageing societies in the context of the fourth industrial revolution
Get PDFMalaysia, Singapore and Thailand are facing challenges to ensure adequate old-age income security and social protection for older persons due to demographic and labour market shifts. While these countries have successfully managed to improve socioeconomic well-being, declines in the number of prime working age adults, ageing populations and technological changes will accelerate the need for participation of older persons in the workforce.
The current labour market outlook for older persons in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will be challenging due to several emerging trends. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will result in changes in existing jobs and require more complex skills of the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted labour markets, resulting in high rates of unemployment. It has had uneven impacts in the labour market across all three countries, with older persons being more vulnerable and affected compared to those of other age groups. The negative impact of environmental and climatic change will also affect the labour market, and in particular sectors like agriculture and tourism, which employ a significant number of workers, especially in Malaysia and Thailand.
In Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, current policies on older persons and digitalization are embedded in national development plans. The countries have crafted policies to realign their workforces with future jobs, with digitalization becoming an increasingly important factor able to enhance economic growth and social welfare. Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand have green agendas, but with different levels of readiness towards climate change. In mitigating this impact on the labour market, several policies have been deployed. Malaysia aims to generate more jobs in renewable energy and green Islamic finance. Singapore aims to be a leader for green finance in Asia, and the globe, and develop new green technologies and sustainability solutions. Policies in Thailand are focused on enhancing agricultural production and making current industries more sustainable.
This paper recommends several strategies to promote active participation of older persons in the labour market, including reducing age discrimination and promoting gender and age-friendly practices in the workplace. Current interventions in expanding upskilling and reskilling programmes for older workers, particularly those with relatively low levels of education and skills are limited, both in size and scope. Widening incentives for employers, in particular towards recruitment of older workers is optimal in incentivizing employers who employ and retrain older workers. Policy adjustments on pensions and contributory systems are needed to ensure all workers, regardless of age, are covered by social protection and social insurance as early as possible, without differentiating between their employment status or nationality. Increasing the retirement age or introducing a re-employment age may encourage older persons to participate longer in the labour market. Enhancing female labour force participation is equally important, with flexible work arrangements and efficient care options to enable women to balance societal expectations or the perception that women need to shoulder disproportionate housework responsibilities. More generous parental leave policies that include paternity leave could also support female labour force participation. Finally, promoting the health of older persons in the workplace is crucial. Policies that promote healthy ageing and improve safety in the workplace by integrating age and gender concerns in workplace risk assessments would encourage better labour force participation of older workers.</p
Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends brief 2022/2023 : New Zealand
No full textThis brief covers recent trends and developments in trade and investment. It has been produced as an accompaniment to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023.</p
