South Asia Economic Focus, Spring 2013
South Asia Economic Focus, Spring 2013

Author:

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2013-04-19

Total Pages: 63

ISBN-13: 0821399799

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South Asia is regaining its economic momentum, but the recovery in the world’s region with the largest number of poor people could falter in the absence of a stronger investment climate. The combined growth of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka was just 4.7% in 2012, substantially below pre-crisis levels. Much of the recent slowdown in economic growth can be attributed to stagnating investment. Total fixed investment grew by 2.6% in 2012, down from a high of 16.7% in 2010. The performance varies widely across the region. At the same time, the region is now more vulnerable because current account balances have widened, foreign direct investment has slowed, and persistently high inflation has limited the ability for central banks to use monetary policy to counter any economic downturn. Because of rising imports, countries in South Asia are also more vulnerable to increases in commodity prices. Therefore, the outlook remains cautiously optimistic with a relatively large downside risk. A pick-up of growth to 5.5% can be expected in 2013 dependent on ongoing efforts to rebuild policy buffers and boost private investment.

South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2014
South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2014

Author: World Bank Publications

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2014-04-10

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13: 1464802734

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Gradual removal of stimulus policies continues as developed economies follow their expected path of slow but sustained recovery. After suffering from international portfolio rebalancing triggered by gradual removal of quantitative easing in the US announced in May 2013, India in particular and South Asia more broadly have managed to reduce external vulnerability. However, growth across the region continues to falter while formidable domestic challenges remain to be tackled. The overall short and medium term outlook for South Asia remains cautiously positive. External vulnerabilities are gradually giving way to domestic downside risks as primary concern for growth and macroeconomic stability. Hence, as previous regional economic updates have argued, any positive development in growth will depend on progress isolating domestic threats to and building buffers for macroeconomic stability, strengthening the investment climate, and removing infrastructure bottlenecks. Over the short and medium run, the economic fortunes of South Asian economies will depend in part on financial sector developments. In the short term the key question is how further monetary contraction in the US will affect them. Over the medium run it will be crucial to achieve more robust and efficient financial intermediation to ensure greater resilience to shocks and that resources are allocated to fund major remaining infrastructure gaps. This edition’s focus section attempts to answer the first question and sheds light on risks in the South Asian banking sector.

South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2015
South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2015

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2015-04-30

Total Pages: 68

ISBN-13: 1464806144

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The South Asia Economic Focus is a biannual economic update presenting recent economic developments and a near term economic outlook for South Asia. It includes a Focus section presenting more in depth analysis of an economic topic of relevance for stability, growth and prosperity in the region as well as country briefs covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It concludes with a data section providing key economic indicators for South Asia "at a glance". Overall, it aims at providing important background information and timely analysis of key indicators and economic and financial developments of relevance to World Bank Group operations and interaction with counterparts in the region, particularly during annual and spring meeting.

South Asia Economic Focus, Fall 2013
South Asia Economic Focus, Fall 2013

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2013-10-14

Total Pages: 65

ISBN-13: 1464801185

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Global capital re-balancing has highlighted structural weakness and vulnerability in South Asia, acting as a wake-up call for policy makers. Given the recent economic turmoil across emerging market economies, this edition's focus section examines the relationship between the transmission of economic shocks from India to the rest of South Asia.

South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2016
South Asia Economic Focus Spring 2016

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published:

Total Pages: 99

ISBN-13: 1464809151

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South Asia by now has consolidated its position as fastest growing developing region in the world. Against the backdrop of relative external stability and some monetary policy space, growth is expected to continue a gradual acceleration on the back of strong investment performance and a return to solid contributions from export growth. India remains the motor of the region and on its way closer to 8 percent real GDP growth, though on a relatively more gradual path than previously anticipated. At the same time, economies across the region will have to tackle fading tailwinds and face ever more binding domestic constraints in the form of persistently high fiscal deficits together with high debt levels as well as some vulnerabilities in the financial sector. The focus section of this report will delve deeper into evaluating the quality of fiscal consolidation and policy, trying to assess short and longer term impact across major South Asian economies.

South Asia Economic Focus
South Asia Economic Focus

Author: World Bank

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1464817006

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South Asia region’s economies are beginning to recover, though unevenly: economic activity in industry and export sectors have recovered to pre-COVID levels but some labor-intensive services sectors and tourism have not. Inequality has worsened on many dimensions. The process of vaccinating South Asia’s population is underway, with India taking a leading role in production. The socioeconomic benefits of vaccinating most South Asians as soon as possible outweighs the cost by multiple times, and thus justifies having public sector financing. Cracks in the primary health care system became evident since the pandemic began, and the vaccine rollout is likely to have other additional challenges such as delays in production, bottlenecks in supply chain logistics and vaccine hesitancy from some groups (which could delay the process of herd immunity). There are also tradeoffs in the priorities that should be established in deciding who gets the vaccine first.

Sustainable Energy Transition In South Asia: Challenges And Opportunities
Sustainable Energy Transition In South Asia: Challenges And Opportunities

Author: S Narayan

Publisher: World Scientific

Published: 2019-07-18

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 9811204330

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With South Asia's growing energy demand, governments in the region are facing the short-term pressures of facilitating energy access, while attempting to formulate long-term sustainable strategies. This book explores how the key economies of South Asia are addressing issues such as the diversification of energy consumption profiles and import sources, investments in renewables, enabling universal energy access, challenges to regional energy cooperation, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and the policy changes that can foster bilateral and multilateral action.As governments seek to ensure access to affordable, reliable, secure, sustainable and modern energy, trends and drivers are emerging and shaping the South Asian energy landscape. The first section of the book examines energy trends at the regional level, while the second section focuses on the internal and external challenges faced by India — the largest energy consumer in the region and the third-largest energy consumer in the world.The diverse perspectives in this volume provide a holistic snapshot of South Asia's ongoing low-carbon energy transition, and highlight the importance of the region working collectively to navigate the many obstacles.

Regional Investment Pioneers in South Asia
Regional Investment Pioneers in South Asia

Author: Sanjay Kathuria

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2021-12-14

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 1464815356

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Regional economic engagement within South Asia may gain increasing importance owing to several factors that are currently in play, including strategies to diversify global value chains and locate such value chains nearer home. These developments offer South Asia a chance to enhance its low levels of regional economic engagement and capitalize on significant unrealized development opportunities. This report shows that examining intraregional investment and knowledge connectivity enhances our understanding of the low levels of intraregional trade and limited regional value chains in South Asia. Creating a new and unique data set for South Asian investment, it provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of the drivers of outward investment, both regional and global, for South Asian firms. “Regional Investment Pioneers in South Asia†? provides key considerations for policy makers in South Asia, which remain particularly relevant in the aftermath of the pandemic. First, it makes a case for regulatory relaxation of outward FDI regimes, based on new micro foundations, grounded in value chains. Second, it spells out details of smart inward FDI promotion techniques and investment facilitation. Third, it identifies distinct cross-border information-enhancing and network development activities. Fourth, it suggests that digital connectivity and continued interventions in reducing trade costs are warranted to increase investment as well as trade flows. There is particular scope to build on the digitalization initiatives in trade and investment facilitation taken during the pandemic. “Regional Investment Pioneers in South Asia†? follows on, and is complementary to, the earlier World Bank report, “A Glass Half Full: the Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia.†?

Economic and Financial Integration in South Asia
Economic and Financial Integration in South Asia

Author: Sanjay Sehgal

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2020-10-25

Total Pages: 215

ISBN-13: 1000202658

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This book analyses the current state and potential of economic and financial integration in South Asia, which has emerged as one of the most dynamic regions of the world. It looks at how regional convergences and cooperation would reinforce ties amongst the diverse economies of South Asia in the changing global economic landscape. Drawing on empirical research, the book looks at the degree of economic and financial integration in South Asia, which according to the World Bank includes the least integrated regions in the world, and explores the fundamental factors that drive integration amongst these countries. It offers important insights into the financial landscape of the region, as well as the dynamics of the interlinkages in the banking system, the stock markets, and the debt markets. The book examines the role of bilateral trade in augmenting regional economic ties, the opportunities for growth these will foster, and the major challenges and roadblocks for the leaders of the region. It also provides an overview of China’s role in South Asia’s financial integration and the interdependence of these economies for economic opportunities, macroeconomic and financial stability, jobs, sustainable growth, and inclusive development. Detailed and insightful, this book will be of great interest to investors and regional policymakers. It will also be of interest to researchers and students of economics, public and foreign policy, finance, international relations, and South Asia studies.

Chinese Foreign Relations with Weak Peripheral States
Chinese Foreign Relations with Weak Peripheral States

Author: Jeffrey Reeves

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-10-08

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1317486501

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This book examines China’s relations with its weak peripheral states through the theoretical lens of structural power and structural violence. China’s foreign policy concepts toward its weak neighbouring states, such as the ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy, are premised on the assumption that economic exchange and a commitment to common development are the most effective means of ensuring stability on its borders. This book, however, argues that China’s overreliance on economic exchange as the basis for its bilateral relations contains inherently self-defeating qualities that have contributed and can further contribute to instability and insecurity within China’s periphery. Unequal economic exchange between China and its weak neighbours results in Chinese influence over the state’s domestic institutions, what this book refers to as ‘structural power’. Chinese structural power, in turn, can undermine the state’s development, contribute to social unrest, and exacerbate existing state/society tensions—what this book refers to as ‘structural violence’. For China, such outcomes lead to instability within its peripheral environment and raise its vulnerability to security threats stemming from nationalism, separatism, terrorism, transnational organised crime, and drug trafficking, among others. This book explores the causality between China’s economically-reliant foreign policy and insecurity in its weak peripheral states and considers the implications for China’s security environment and foreign policy. This book will be of much interest to students of Chinese politics, Asian security studies, international political economy and IR in general.