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Asia should build anti-corruption coalitions: WB

Asia should build anti-corruption coalitions: WB HANOI, Nov. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Asian countries should build wide anti-corruption coalitions with the participation of people from different social classes, an official of the World Bank (WB) said here on Friday. The construction is quite necessary, especially in the countries which have poor management environment and serious corruption situation, WB director on charge of international relations, Vinay Bhargava, said at a meeting on introducing his book entitled "Challenging Corruption in Asia: Case Studies and a Framework for Action." The book recommends Asian countries review the menu

ADB launches new anti-corruption plan for aid to Asia

ADB launches new anti-corruption plan for aid to Asia ALL CONTRACTS awarded by the Asian Development Bank are to be made public as part of a new anti-corruption plan, the Manila-based lender said. Under the plan, borrowers will be required to make public all contract awards, and to publish on the ADBs website contracts worth more than one million dollars, the multilateral institution said in a statement. The move is part of an anti-corruption review carried out by the bank. Facilities to report allegations of fraud and corruption will also be improved, the ADB said. More : business.inq7.net

LEAD: Japan eyes launching E. Asia-wide FTA talks in 2008+

LEAD: Japan eyes launching E. Asia-wide FTA talks in 2008+ Japan will propose to 15 Asian neighbors launching talks in 2008 aimed at a region-wide free trade agreement as a precursor to establishing an East Asian economic community, trade minister Toshihiro Nikai said Tuesday. Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Nikai told a press conference Japan will ask the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and China, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand to consider the regional FTA talks. If realized, the economic zone would include half the world's population and a quarter of its gross domestic product, officials said. The idea will be

EU states fight Brussels over ‘shoe-dumping’ tariffs

EU states fight Brussels over ‘shoe-dumping’ tariffs Three European Union member states are joining forces to try to prevent Brussels from slapping anti-dumping tariffs on some Asian shoe exports – mainly from China – and avoid a rerun of the recent textiles dispute with Beijing. The Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark are preparing a joint initiative, which they hope other members of the 25-nation EU will join, demanding an end to the anti-dumping procedure, according to Thomas Östros, the Swedish trade minister. The European Commission has been investigating Asian shoe exports and is considering punitive measures against Chinese leather and reinforced shoe

DOST heads Asia-wide techno-entrepreneurship program

DOST heads Asia-wide techno-entrepreneurship program The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) recently assumed the chairmanship of the Science and Technology Policy Asian Network (STEPAN), a 20-country group of science and technology policy makers aiming at assisting countries to utilize scarce S&T resources for development goals. DOST Undersecretary Fortunato De la Peña met last week with several members of the STEPAN in Manila to discuss the implementation of the innovation-based entrepreneurship that encourages small-to-medium scale businesses to utilize new technologies for their livelihood. De la Peña said the group is finalizing the criteria for choosing projects that could be funded. By mid next