The Asian Development Bank (ADB) issued its long-term strategic framework, Strategy 2020, in April 2008 to guide its operations to meet the changing assistance needs of its developing members. The strategy identified financial sector development as one of the five focal areas of ADB's operations through 2020. This Financial Sector Operational Plan aims to articulate the financial sector agendas of Strategy 2020 and guide its implementation by ADB.

The cross-cutting impact of finance on different sectors and economic activities amplifies opportunities for expanding financial inclusion and poverty reduction, which is why the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) 2011 Financial Sector Operational Plan (FSOP) was designed to address challenges ahead. ADB's finance sector operations contributed 11% of total lending portfolio over 2011-2015, about 15% of that in 2015 alone. This review examines the implementation of the 2011 FSOP and looks at the critical role of the finance sector in development in Asia and the Pacific. While this publication affirms that the FSOP remains valid and relevant, it also makes recommendations up to 2020 and provides a platform to launch the FSOP beyond 2020 to ensure its relevance with ADB's road to 2030.

Operations in Financial Services establishes a framework for this research area from an operations management perspective. The first section presents an introduction and provides an overview of the topic. The second section establishes links between the current state of the art in relevant areas of operations management and operations research and three of the more important aspects of operations in financial services - (i) financial product design and testing, (ii) process delivery design, and (iii) process delivery management. The third section focuses on the current issues that are important in the financial services operations area. These issues center primarily on mobile online banking and trading in a global environment. The fourth section discusses operational risk aspects of financial services. The final section concludes with a discussion on research directions that may become of interest in the future.

An IMF paper reviewing the policy responses of Indonesia, Korea and Thailand to the 1997 Asian crisis, comparing the actions of these three countries with those of Malaysia and the Philippines. Although all judgements are still tentative, important lessons can be learned from the experiences of the last two years.

This book is a history of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development bank established 50 years ago to serve Asia and the Pacific. Focusing on the region’s economic development, the evolution of the international development agenda, and the story of ADB itself, this book raises several key questions: What are the outstanding features of regional development to which ADB had to respond? How has the bank grown and evolved in changing circumstances? How did ADB’s successive leaders promote reforms while preserving continuity with the efforts of their predecessors? ADB has played an important role in the transformation of Asia and the Pacific the past 50 years. As ADB continues to evolve and adapt to the region’s changing development landscape, the experiences highlighted in this book can provide valuable insight on how best to serve Asia and the Pacific in the future.

Despite its success to date, the People's Republic of China (PRC) faces some major challenges in finance sector development. Like all success stories, the PRC is finding it increasingly di cult to maintain momentum. The finance industry needs greater involvement from the private sector, including input in decision making. Achieving the desired outcomes will require a careful balance between the pace at which controls are removed and that at which the regulatory and legal infrastructure is strengthened. Long-term success will also require that economic growth be inclusive, with financial services available to all members of society.