Commentary

What you need to know about ADB's trade facilitation program

Asia Development Bank(ADB)'s latest news shows that its Trade Facilitation Program ( TFP) will increase trade volume of USD 1.2 billion among some difficult member countries due to the cooperation with OFID. It will stick to the traditional LC or banks' guarantee as trade facilitation tools to assist SMEs in emerging countries . Trade Facilitation Program , a product using LC and guarantee to promoting trade among commercial banks, was initiated by European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)whose mission is to assist its 29 member countries to quickly develop their economies in order to not falling back to communism after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991.

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What you need to know about ADB's trade facilitation program

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How to rise from the ashes of the Arab spring to grow business

With political turmoil and economic upheaval in many parts of the world, the need for closer interaction and trade between Muslim and non-Muslim countries has never been greater.

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Lack of trust is damaging Asian retail banks

Asian retail banks face a serious problem: People lack confidence in them. Too often, potential customers remain unbanked or meet their financial needs elsewhere.

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How we can rise from the ashes of the Arab spring to grow business

With political turmoil and economic upheaval in many parts of the world, the need for closer interaction and trade between Muslim and non-Muslim countries has never been greater.

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A call to review Asian banking industry strategies

The global financial and economic meltdown has created a new world with its own array of threats, opportunities and sustainability factors which call for fresh thinking to capitalize new horizons, damage control and preempt fallouts.

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Reserve Bank of India’s payment system gambit

While the world was engrossed in watching the LIBOR scandal unfold recently and banks across the world were reviewing every index with palpitation, an important development came up in India.

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Insights from central bankers at SIBOS 2012

I was at SIBOS, Osaka, Japan, last week, and it was a pleasure to meet several bankers across the world. Moreover, as the event was held in the Asia Pacific, there was a very good representation from the Asian Banking and Finance Community–a very good blend of banks, IT vendors, regulators, monetary agencies, Clearing and Settlement houses, depositories, and so on.

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In private equity, China is (still) the next big thing

The US and European Private Equity (PE) industry has taken repeated hits after the escalation of the financial crisis in September 2008. LBO markets came to a halt through banks’ inability and unwillingness to lend.

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The rise of wealth management in India

Indian Wealth Management sector is growing at a phenomenal pace. Most of the prominent financial services firms in the country have set up private client verticals to be a part of this growth story.

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Why changing the mindset is as vital for banks as knowing the customer

It’s fair to say that, at the moment, consumer protection high on the agenda of many national regulators and central banks. The global financial crisis has severely dented consumer trust, with the most recent scandal – the LIBOR rate manipulation – dealing a further blow to consumer confidence.

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The “Bailout” blame-game

The game begins when the Federal Reserve System allows commercial banks to create checkbook money out of nothing. When such a loan is placed on the bank's books it is shown as an asset because it is earning interest and, presumably, someday will be paid back.

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How to keep critical systems running in capital markets

Erroneous software sometimes play havoc in Capital markets. In 2012, the NASDAQ and other global stock exchanges were affected due to erroneous software not once, but thrice within a period of just three months!

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Asian banks urged to build AML compliance programs

Asian banking operations face increasing exposure from regulators around the world to AML regulations – though the pressure locally is diverse in approaches and lacks enforcement. This is particularly challenging because regulators from different Asian countries have different approaches - principle-based versus rules-based - and maturity in their regulatory oversight.

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3 phases of the green banking policy

Resource constraint has already hit the overall global business and society as well. Moreover, on the path to industrialisation we have started neglecting our eco-system threatening the lives of teeming millions in tandem with the global climate change scenario.

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Mobile banking & financial inclusion in India

The level of Financial Inclusion in the APEC countries is still very low. The Asian banking fraternity has taken various steps in the micro-finance sector especially in Philippines, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia (which has been an example for more than 25 years).

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The synergy between trade finance and trade credit insurance

As I scanned my Insurance Day newsletter in London the day I wrote this article, three articles caught my eye “Market Update: trade credit claims rise in 2012 following 30% jump in 2011;” “Trade credit: uncollectable debts rising in North America;” and, then, “Credit insurers call for banks to ‘behave as they should to end financing gridlock [the International Credit Insurance & Surety Association] points at banking sector’s failure to extend credit as major obstacle to economic growth.” Despite the incongruity these headlines demonstrate the synergy between trade finance and trade credit insurance (TCI).

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3 most in demand skill in Asian banking and finance

Asia’s banking and finance sector is still actively hiring – evidence that particular skills are in demand in the region despite the current global economic climate. Christine Wright, Operations Director for Hays in Asia, discusses the trends and current opportunities across the region from the latest Hays Quarterly Report.

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