Bücher von Asian Development Bank

This publication examines the impact of tariff changes associated with Armenia's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and other potential and upcoming tariff changes.It explores the trade and welfare impact of Armenia's convergence to the Common External Tariff of the EEU, and of recent and potential free trade agreements between the EEU and third countries. It looks at how different sectors and products are affected by shifting import and export patterns. The publication also considers how losing eligibility for the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences will affect Armenia's trade.

The national single window (NSW) enables an environment for traders and transport service providers to interact efficiently with cross-border regulatory agencies in international trade. While the NSW concept is simple, its implementation is complex since it involves streamlining of procedures across many players, including cross border regulatory agencies, transport operators, cargo handlers, commercial banks, and the central bank. This guidance note provides information on planning, preparing, and implementing electronic NSW systems for international trade.

This report compares the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with other free trade agreements and suggests how policy makers can promote its successful implementation.The analysis in this report aims to support policy makers and negotiators in RCEP implementation by identifying areas where further work is needed to make the agreement more attractive to firms and investors. The report shows that despite RCEP's shortcomings it presents valuable opportunities to deepen regional economic integration. Critically important are the agreement's built-in provisions and economic and technical cooperation measures that make it possible to expand its depth and coverage in the future.

In Indonesia, the provincial, city, and regency governments typically rely on the central government for financial support. A shift toward the collection of their own tax revenues would strengthen local governments' autonomy and encourage accountability to their communities. During 2015-2020, the Tax Revenue Administration Modernization and Policy Improvement in Local Governments (TRAMPIL) project, supported by the Asian Development Bank, provided technical assistance to help Indonesia's subnational governments collect more locally sourced tax revenues. This report describes the challenges and achievements of TRAMPIL project activities. It presents TRAMPIL's policy recommendations in the context of Indonesia's economic and legal parameters on regional autonomy.

This publication analyzes the Product-Specific Rules of Origin (PSRO) of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and other free trade agreements and proposes policy options.The report compares RCEP with the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It looks at the main rules of origin provisions of the three free trade agreements and discusses differences and similarities in how they were drafted. The study compares the stringency and leniency of RCEP PSRO with that of the other agreements and identifies where PSRO among the three are converging. Its findings provide the basis for policy recommendations to leverage RCEP to simplify rules of origin across Asia and the Pacific.

Infrastructure has played a critical role in Asia and the Pacific's rapid economic growth. Roads, bridges, and power networks, among other assets, are part of people's daily lives, and a foundation for their economic opportunity. But increasing disaster risks and climate change is forcing us to rethink how we manage infrastructure. This publication identifies opportunities to deliver resilient infrastructure across developing Asia. It takes a holistic view of practices that affect infrastructure resilience, including risk assessment, investment appraisal, and operation and maintenance across the life cycle of an asset, as well as overarching approaches to achieving system-wide resilience, financing, and governance objectives.

This report explores green bonds and other finance instruments for climate-resilient infrastructure to help meet the growing demand for green investments and achieve a low carbon economy in Indonesia. The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) consulted with experts in partnership with ADB, the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility, and PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur under Indonesia's Ministry of Finance in preparing this updated report, following previous editions published in 2018 and 2019. It as part of a series of reports for various countries developed by CBI to promote green financing among various stakeholders and development partners in the public and private sectors, including project owners and developers, institutional investors, asset managers, financial institutions, government bodies, and international organizations.

All forms of asbestos are considered carcinogenic to humans. However, around 125 million people globally are exposed to asbestos in the workplace, with an estimated 233,000 deaths every year attributed to the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers. This publication aims to increase awareness of the health risks associated with asbestos in the workplace and provides recommendations and checklists on avoiding and managing the risks of exposure. It covers the duties of employers and contractors; training requirements; and the identification, containment, safe removal, and management of asbestos waste.

This technical note explains why countries should cement strong public private partnerships (PPP) to help bridge deep funding gaps and build the climate-resilient infrastructure they need. It analyzes how the pandemic and government worries over value for money have combined with business' concerns over investment risk to dampen regional PPP deals. Providing a checklist for countries to rate potential PPP projects, it explains why robust governance and strategic planning is critical to the success of public-private partnerships. It underscores that embracing the private sector is crucial for countries to build sustainable infrastructure that can boost jobs, stimulate growth, and support an inclusive recovery.

Digital transformation can positively impact economic growth, jobs creation, and social inclusion. As the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) region deals with the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, investing in national broadband infrastructure is more crucial than ever to enable connectivity and improve service delivery. Digitalization will allow CAREC member countries to develop robust solutions for areas including agriculture and water, e-commerce and trade, education and skills, energy, finance, health, transportation, and tourism. The CAREC Digital Strategy 2030 is intended as a catalyst for regional cooperation, promoting policy design, capacity building,and dialogue to address economic and social challenges in the region with the help of digital technologies.

This publication explains why Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand need to ramp up cooperation to boost their special economic zones (SEZ) and spur sustainable growth. Mapping out and assessing the economic performance of SEZs across the subregion, it highlights the threats they face from factors including growing competition for foreign investment, international trade disputes, and the rise of digital technologies. The publication stresses the need for policymakers and stakeholders to intensify their strategic collaboration in order to make their SEZs more competitive. Against the backdrop of COVID-19, it details a range of practical steps designed to increase trade, create jobs, and build economic resilience across the three countries.

These guidelines were developed through the collaborative efforts of the Asian Development Bank and the Municipal Department of Environmental Protection of Tbilisi City Hall. The publication aims to inform decisions that will contribute to the sustainable development of Tbilisi and give residents a better quality of life while protecting their valuable heritage and preserving the green landscape for successive generations. The guidelines recommend development features and design specifications for green space provision and identify priorities for improvements and for ensuring that limited resources are targeted at areas of most need.