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Producing export and import price indices (XMPI) in Bhutan : documentation of process and results
Get PDFThis is a study of how the Bhutan National Statistics Bureau began producing Import and Export Price Indices (XMPI) using existing administrative data. This was made possible through support from the Regional Programme on Economics Statistics in Asia and the Pacific run by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and supported by Department for International Development (DFID). This study was developed by the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) of Bhutan and ESCAP. It documents the context and process followed to support other countries thinking of producing XMPIs. This is one of five studies of successful projects and aims to advance statistics in Asia and the Pacific through shared knowledge and experience
Mainstreaming the sustainable development goals into national planning, budgetary and financing processes : Indonesian experience
Get PDFIndonesia has made substantial progress in adopting the SDGs into national agendas of planning, budgeting and financing. The Government’s commitment was confirmed through the Presidential Decree and the SDGs Roadmap with a concrete mandate to mainstream the Goals into national development frameworks, at both central and subnational levels. Continuous effort in establishing budget tagging system for SDG-related programmes and activities ensures that planning is translated into proper fiscal allocation for prioritized Goals, which also leads to effective public spending. Issues on financing gaps have been addressed through the introduction of innovative financing instruments, such as the issuance of sovereign green sukuk and the establishment of SDG Indonesia One, aimed at leveraging private financing. Despite considerable number of achievements recorded, there is room for improvement, particularly by: reconciling interrelated features of the Goals and targets through policy integration across sector and coordination enhancement among actors; improving the supporting system for better implementation of performance-based budgeting; and upscaling innovative sustainable financing instruments organized by the Government and non-State actors.Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations......................................................................... 2
Executive summary........................................................................................ 4
I. Mainstreaming SDGs into national development planning and policy ....... 4
A. National level planning ..............................................................................................7
B. Sub-national level planning .......................................................................................8
C. From planning to policies ..........................................................................................9
II. Integrating SDGs into budget and financing process................................ 11
A. State budget ............................................................................................................13
B. Non-state budget.....................................................................................................15
III. Agenda for reform .................................................................................. 18
A. Integrated planning .................................................................................................18
B. Performance-based budgeting ................................................................................19
C. Innovative financing ................................................................................................20
IV.Conclusion: lessons from Indonesia......................................................... 22
References ................................................................................................. 23
Appendices ................................................................................................. 2
Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) : a practical guidance tool for 2nd VNRs
No full textThe purpose of this tool is to provide practical advice and concrete tips to countries on how to develop a 2nd (or 3rd) generation Voluntary National Review (VNR). The objective of this tool is to help countries to connect their 1st and 2nd VNR to ensure that there is continuity between the reports and that their 2nd takes stock of progress made since the previous review
Addressing the impact of the pandemic on tourism in Asia-Pacific small island developing states
No full textThe collapse of tourism resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will have a profound impact on the Asia-Pacific small island developing States because of their high reliance on tourism rents. The pandemic will disproportionally influence the lives and well-being of the poorest and the most vulnerable, including workers in the informal sector. Addressing this challenge requires both broad mitigation measures to counteract the consequences of the outbreak as well as specific policies to support local tourism-related businesses and affected communities. For Governments that do not have the fiscal space, adequate concessional assistance from the international community will be critical. At the same time, however, long-term efforts for the sustainable development of the tourism sector should not be undermined, particularly by taking full advantage of their blue economy potential – a concept depicting sustainable use of vast oceanic resources – to foster their development
ICT for disaster risk management
No full textInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have tremendous potential in disaster risk reduction due to their ability to facilitate the rapid flow of information instantly and continuously, in real-time. The use of ICTs in all phases of the disaster risk management cycle presents substantial opportunities to reduce disaster risks, enhance resilience, and facilitate inclusive preparedness and response. This module, designed for policymakers and civil servants at the national and local government level, aims to introduce the basic concepts of Disaster Risk Management and provides an overview of how ICTs and applications can be leveraged for disaster mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.3rd ed
Bishkek declaration : strengthening regional cooperation to support socioeconomic recovery in the wake of Covid-19. 2020 SPECA Economic Forum, “Regional Cooperation to Support Socioeconomic Recovery in the Wake of COVID-19”, and Fifteenth Session of the SPECA Governing Council
No full textThe Governing Council of the United Nations Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) will hold its 15th session on 20 November 2020, on virtual modality. Under the chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan, seven SPECA participating countries, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, will discuss the outcomes of 2020 SPECA Economic Forum and adopt its conclusions and recommendations
Strengthening freight transport corridors of South Asia in the aftermath of COVID-19
Get PDFInternational freight transport has been among the first and the hardest hit sectors in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. The sector will also necessarily have to lead the way in post-Covid-19 recovery, given its bearing as the lifeline of global supply chains. Millions of lives and livelihoods critically depend on how freight transport lines bounce back to sustain supply of food and medicines, and to protect trade interests. Exposure to the challenges posed by the pandemic has heightened certain longstanding systemic issues faced by South Asia’s freight transport sector. This policy brief takes stock of such issues, as observed so far, and suggests certain policy measures for helping the sector in reemerging from the crisis as more resilient and sustainable
A review of access to finance by micro, small and medium enterprises and digital financial services in selected Asia-Pacific least developed countries
Get PDFMicro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are key to the economies of various countries. Their numbers and contribution towards employment is well documented and there is acceptance amongst policy makers that these enterprises are critical for economic development. Increasingly, access to finance has been recognised as a major hurdle in their development or growth.
Amongst, the countries reviewed in this paper - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Nepal – Bhutan is the only target country where the supply of finance to MSMEs is favourable with nearly 68% of the demand being met. Cambodia has the highest finance gap followed closely by Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Nepal. While examining the finance gap of microenterprises and SMEs, the gap revealed in Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic and Nepal are not substantial. However, in Bangladesh the differences are much larger between microenterprises and SMEs with only 14% of microenterprise demand being met.
The review also explores the number of women owned MSMEs (WMSMEs) in the countries and the access to finance for such enterprises. It shows that the finance gap is amongst the lowest in Bangladesh (6%), Bhutan (19%) and Nepal (9%). In Cambodia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the share is higher at 32% and 42% respectively. But in both South East Asian countries women owned MSMEs also are a larger proportion of MSMEs.
While Digital Finance Services (DFS) initiatives specifically linked to increasing MSME access to finance are few, and there are no specific policy initiatives (in the target countries) linking the two, development of DFS and its spread is likely to positively affect MSME access to finance. This is because DFS helps to create a digital footprint that when combined with other accumulated data can yield business intelligence to make decisions related to credit risks, for example.
In all the countries reviewed, there is a notable push in terms of policy and mobile connectivity that favour the growth of digital payments. Number of bank and non-bank agents in all the five countries has shown significant increase as has the adoption of payment services by populations. This has in part been supported by the high levels of 2G and 3G mobile service penetration.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 2. On the radar: MSMEs financial inclusion and DFS ........................................................... 4 3. Country Experience ............................................................................................................ 8 3.1 Bangladesh .................................................................................................................... 8 3.1.1 Access to finance for formal MSMEs .................................................................. 8 3.1.2 Exploring supply, demand and the reasons for constraints.................................. 9 3.1.3 Policy effort to increase financial inclusion of MSMEs .................................... 12 3.1.4 Digital Finance in Bangladesh ........................................................................... 13 3.2 Bhutan ......................................................................................................................... 15 3.2.1 Access to finance for formal MSMEs ................................................................ 15 3.2.2 Exploring supply, demand and reasons for constraints ..................................... 16 3.2.3 Policy effort to increase financial inclusion of MSMEs .................................... 18 3.2.4 Digital Finance in Bhutan .................................................................................. 18 3.3 Cambodia .................................................................................................................... 20 3.3.1 Access to finance for formal MSMEs ................................................................ 21 3.3.2 Exploring supply, demand and reasons for constraints ..................................... 21 3.3.3 Policy efforts to increase financial inclusion of MSMEs .................................. 23 3.3.4 Digital Finance in Cambodia ............................................................................. 25 3.4 Lao People’s Democratic Republic ............................................................................ 26 3.4.1 Access to finance for formal MSMEs ................................................................ 27 3.4.2 Exploring supply, demand and the reasons for constraints................................ 28 3.4.3 Policy effort to increase financial inclusion of MSMEs .................................... 30 3.4.4 Digital Finance in Lao Peoples Democratic Republic ....................................... 32 3.5 Nepal ........................................................................................................................... 33 3.5.1 Access to finance for formal MSMEs ................................................................ 34 3.5.2 Exploring supply, demand and the reasons for constraints................................ 35 3.5.3 Policy effort to increase financial inclusion of MSMEs .................................... 37 3.5.4 Digital finance in Nepal ..................................................................................... 38 4. Policy recommendations ................................................................................................... 39 4.1 Peer learning and capacity development..................................................................… 39 4.2 Financial infrastructure ............................................................................................... 40 4.3 Alternative sources of finance .................................................................................... 40 4.4 Gender-related issues .................................................................................................. 41 4.5 Digital Financial Services ........................................................................................... 42 References ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Annexes 5