Search Results for “Vietnam”

Chart of the Week: A Golden Aging for Vietnam?

IMFBlog2019-03-25T12:43:16-05:00July 17, 2017|

July 17, 2017

A worker in a silk factory in Dalat, Vietnam. Encouraging more women to join the workforce and shifting to higher productivity occupations will help the country overcome the impact of an aging population (photo: Gerhard Zwerger-Schoner/imageBroker/Newscom)

Vietnam’s demographic dividend is fast turning into a handicap.

For decades, working-age Vietnamese made up an expanding share of the population, boosting economic growth and helping to keep retirement and health spending in check. (more…)

The Digital Accelerator: Revving Up Government in Asia

IMFBlog2019-03-13T13:58:38-05:00September 26, 2018|

By Vitor Gaspar and Chang Yong Rhee

September 26, 2018

عربي , 中文, Español, 日本語, Português, Русский,

A driver from the Malaysian ride-hailing tech startup, Grab, picks up a passenger in Jakarta, Indonesia: digitalization is transforming Asia’s businesses and governments (photo: Afif C. Kasuma/iStock by Getty Images)

Asia’s digital revolution shows no signs of slowing down. From e-commerce giants like China’s Alibaba and Japan’s Rakuten, to ride-hailing, and digital payment tech startups, like Indonesia’s Go-Jek and India’s Paytm, and the widespread use of industrial robots for manufacturing, digitalization is changing the way the region’s businesses operate. (more…)

Region on the Rise

IMFBlog2019-03-13T15:06:24-05:00August 30, 2018|

By Camilla Lund Andersen

August 30,2018

(photo: Michael Waraksa)

SREYNITH HAK, 25, MOVED to Phnom Penh eight years ago to pursue a bachelor’s degree in media management. (more…)

5 Things You Need to Know About the IMF and the Sustainable Development Goals

IMFBlog2019-03-13T15:53:53-05:00July 26, 2018|

By Tony Annett and Chris Lane

July 26, 2018

Version in عربي , 中文, Español, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 日本語, Português, Русский

The global economic juggernaut is bumping into the boundaries of environmental safety (photo: Infogram).

Although we live in an age of unparalleled wealth and technological achievement, billions of people are still suffering from poverty, hunger, exclusion, and conflict. (more…)

Alexandros Mourmouras

IMFBlog2018-03-07T09:16:34-05:00March 6, 2018|

Alex Mourmouras is division chief in the Asia and Pacific department of the IMF where he has served as mission chief for Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia. He was previously division chief in the IMF Institute for Capacity Development and economist in the Fund’s Policy Development and Review and Fiscal Affairs Departments. He holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Minnesota and a BA degree from Harvard College.

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Welfare Versus GDP: What Makes People Better Off

Helping Feed the World’s Fast-Growing Population

IMFBlog2019-03-26T12:59:13-05:00January 31, 2017|

rabah-arezki-imf By Rabah Arezki

Agriculture and food markets are plagued with inefficiencies that have dramatic consequences for the welfare of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Globally, farm subsidies amount to over $560 billion a year—equivalent to nearly four times the aid given to developing countries by richer ones. Major emerging-market nations have increased subsidies rapidly, even as rich nations cut theirs drastically. Meanwhile, tariffs on farm products remain a major point of contention in global trade talks.

One third of global food production goes to waste, while food insecurity is still rampant in developing countries. Even with the explosion of agricultural productivity since the middle of the 20th century, food security remains a challenge for much of the developing world. Food-calorie production will have to expand by 70 percent by 2050 to keep up with a global population that’s forecast to grow to 9.7 billion from last year’s 7.3 billion. Food insecurity can lead to violence and conflicts that can spill over well beyond borders. (more…)

Who Wins and Who Loses As China Rebalances

IMFBlog2019-03-27T09:35:33-05:00May 12, 2016|

By Serkan Arslanalp, Thomas Helbling, Jaewoo Lee, and Koshy Mathai

Version in 中文 (Chinese)

China’s economy leaves nobody indifferent. The world is watching closely as the second largest economy in the world is shifting its growth model from an export-driven one to one centered on household consumption. As China’s economy slows and rebalances, its impact is being felt on an already fragile global economy, and particularly in the rest of the Asia region. Our recent studies show that while China’s rebalancing will adversely affect some Asian economies, it will also open opportunities for several others.

(more…)

The Change in Demand for Debt: The New Landscape in Low-income Countries

IMFBlog2019-03-27T12:06:24-05:00February 17, 2016|

By Andrea F. Presbitero and Min Zhu

(Versions in 中文 (Chinese), Français, and Português)

Many low-income developing countries have joined the group of Eurobond issuers across the globe— in sub-Saharan Africa (for example, Senegal, Zambia, and Ghana), Asia (for example, Mongolia) and elsewhere, raising over US$21 billion cumulatively over the past decade. Tapping these markets provides a new source of funds, but also exposes borrowers to shifts in investor sentiment and rising global interest rates.

(more…)

Competitiveness in Sub-Saharan Africa: Time to Move Ahead

IMFBlog2019-03-27T12:14:18-05:00January 28, 2016|

Antoinette Sayeh2

By Antoinette Sayeh

(Versions in Español, Français, and Português)

The sub-Saharan Africa region is facing severe shocks associated with the steep decline in commodity prices and tightening global financial conditions. Against this background, it’s a good time to look back at the region’s recent growth experience and examine the relationship between growth rates and competitiveness. The extent to which sub-Saharan African companies are able to compete against their foreign competitors (that is, the extent to which they are competitive) could indeed play a role in sustaining growth going ahead.

(more…)

China and Africa: Will the Honeymoon Continue?

IMFBlog2019-03-27T13:04:17-05:00December 21, 2015|

By Wenjie Chen and Roger Nord

(Versions in عربي, 中文, Français, Português, and Español)

China’s President Xi Jinping’s recent pledge of US$60 billion in financial support over the next three years illustrates the depth of the partnership between China and Africa.

However, China’s shift from an investment-heavy, export led growth strategy to an economic model that relies more on domestic consumption has led to a dramatic decline in commodity prices. Lower commodity prices and lower volumes of trade have hit sub-Saharan Africa’s commodity exporters hard. But over the medium term, this shift may offer sub-Saharan African countries the opportunity to diversify their economies away from natural resources, and create jobs for their young populations, provided they pursue the right policies to foster competitiveness and integrate into global value chains.

(more…)

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