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Kerala tops list, Uttar Pradesh worst performer in Niti Aayog’s Health Index

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PTI, New Delhi — Kerala has occupied the top slot in terms of health performance among large states followed by Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, whereas Uttar Pradesh and Bihar remained at the bottom, according to the Niti Aayog’s second round of Health Index. The ranking was done under three categories — larger states, smaller states and Union territories (UTs) — to ensure comparison among similar entities.

Gujarat, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh stood at fourth, fifth and sixth spots, according to the report, titled ‘Healthy States, Progressive India: Report on Rank of States and UTs’. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha were among the worst-performing states on the index.

In terms of annual incremental performance among the larger states, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand are the top-three states.

The second round of the Health Index took into account the period 2015-16 (base year) to 2017-18 (reference year). The Index is a composite score incorporating 23 indicators covering key aspects of health sector performance with major weightage to the outcomes.

Among the smaller states, Mizoram ranked first in overall performance, while Tripura and Manipur were the top-two states in terms of incremental performance. Sikkim and Arunchal Pradesh had the biggest decrease in overall Health Index scores.

Among the UTs, Chandigarh ranked first in overall performance, while Dadra and Nagar Haveli improved the most.

Releasing the report, Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar said the Aayog is committed to establishing the Health Index as an annual systematic tool to propel states towards undertaking multi-pronged interventions to bring better health outcomes.

Niti Aayog member Vinod Kumar Paul said the Union government should spend 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product on health.

“And state governments should increase their spending on health from an average of 4.7 per cent to 8 per cent of their budget (net state domestic product) on health,” Paul said.

According to the report, the decline in the overall Health Index score of five empowered action group states (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha) between the base year and the reference year is attributed to the deterioration of performances of several indicators.

“For instance, in Bihar, the deterioration between the base year and the reference year was primarily due to the performance related to total fertility rate, low birth weight, sex ratio at birth, TB (tuberculosis) treatment success rate, quality accreditation of public health facilities, time taken for NHM (National Health Mission) fund transfer,” it said.

The report also pointed out that there was a general positive correlation between the Health Index scores and the economic development levels of states and UTs as measured by per-capita net state domestic product (NSDP).

Noting that overall, there is room for improvement in all states, even among the best, it said that “among the large states, the overall Health Index score of the best-performing state is more than two-and-a-half times of the overall score of the least-performing state”.

The report said several states have made good progress towards achieving sustainable development goals included in the index.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have already reached the 2030 SDG target for neonatal mortality rate (NMR), which is 12 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births, it said.

The first round of the Health Index was released in February 2018, which measured the annual and incremental performances of states and UTs for period 2014-15 (base year) to 2015-16 (reference year).

The report has been prepared in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with technical assistance from the World Bank.

Asian Companies with Women on Boards Show Better Financial Performance: Study

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According to the study — Board Gender Diversity in ASEAN — companies with more than 30 percent of women on the board report an average Return on Assets (ROA) of 3.8 percent, compared to an ROA of 2.4 percent for companies with no female board members. Similarly, companies with over 30 percent of women on the board report an average Return on Equity (ROE) of 6.2 percent, while those with an all-male board have an ROE of only 4.2 percent. The study surveyed over 1,000 companies in China and six ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“Our findings underscore the value of greater gender diversity in Asian boardrooms,” said Vivek Pathak, IFC Regional Director, East Asia and the Pacific. “By tapping into the vast potential offered by women in business, Asian companies can become stronger, more sustainable and more attractive to investors. In turn, they will help achieve more inclusive economic growth, continuing the region’s positive trajectory that has lifted millions out of poverty in recent decades.”

The study shows that out of the six ASEAN countries, Thailand is the most gender diverse, with women holding around 20 percent of board seats in listed companies, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam (both about 15 percent). Among the ASEAN companies surveyed, close to 40 percent had no female board members and only 16 percent had over 30 percent female representation on the board.

IFC commissioned the Economist Intelligence Unit to produce the report, based on an extensive review of the literature, company-level data analysis, and interviews with leading experts in the region. The research was funded by the Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality (UFGE), a World Bank Group multi-donor trust fund aimed at identifying and addressing key gaps between men and women to deliver better development solutions that boost prosperity and increase opportunity for all.

Although the report establishes a clear connection between firms with more women on their boards and better financial performance, it notes that the percentage of women on boards remains low in the region. This is partly because of widespread gender bias that deems women as less suitable for top executive positions.

“The business case for board gender diversity is strong and relates not just to performance but also to corporate governance, reputation, and fairness,” said Risa E. Rustam, Director of Finance and Human Resources of the Indonesia Stock Exchange. “Stock exchanges can help lead the way by promoting gender diversity measures and targets among listed companies.”

In Indonesia, the top three industries with the highest percentage of female board members are industrials (26 percent), real estate (20 percent), and consumer staples (15 percent), the study reveals. Indonesian companies comprise about 6 percent of the total number of companies surveyed, covering a wide range of industries, including consumer discretionary, industrials, materials, consumer staples, financials, real estate, energy, and health care. In terms of female representation on boards, Indonesia is on par with the ASEAN average (14.9 percent), but the country is behind when it comes to the number of women in senior management (18.4 percent), well below the ASEAN average of 25.2 percent.

The report recommends ways to accelerate the pace of change, such as putting in place policies that provide women with opportunities to rise to senior leadership roles. The research finds that within ASEAN companies, board appointments tend to be dominated by “old-boys’ networks”. To counter this culture, companies can introduce a more formal selection mechanism for board membership and provide greater visibility for female candidates through cross-company networks or countrywide directories of women board members.

IFC’s support for this research is part of a global series of studies on the positive effects of increased gender diversity in business leadership. IFC is expanding its work in closing gender gaps through investments, with commitments to quadruple annual financing dedicated to women-led businesses and achieve a 50 percent share of women directors where IFC has a board seat.

Y.W. Junardy, President of Indonesia Global Compact Network (IGCN), said, “Boards with women members have shown to have a better decision-making ability through a broader perspective, which allows greater inclusivity and ultimately better financial performance. Inclusive businesses, which promote gender equality, decent work, and economic growth, are key to achieving Sustainable Development Goals,” he concluded.

About IFC
IFC—a sister organization of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group—is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world. In fiscal year 2018, we delivered more than $23 billion in long-term financing for developing countries, leveraging the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org 

First Asian woman to play cricket for England has expressed disappointment with British Asian fans for booing

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London — The first Asian woman to play cricket for England has expressed disappointment with British Asian fans for booing players of Indian and Pakistani ancestry who have made it to the national team, the Times reported.

Isa Guha, who won 113 caps as a bowler, said there was “nothing wrong” with British Asian fans supporting other countries — but admitted she felt “frustrated” when this had turned into hostility towards England in the past.

She spoke out as national cricketing authorities seek to tap into the huge enthusiasm shown by British Asian supporters during the cricket World Cup, and as England prepares to face India in the tournament next Sunday.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will open its first inner-city cricket centre in Leyton, east London, on Wednesday as part of a strategy to turn young Asians into the England stars of the future.

Guha, 34, who is an adviser on the strategy, said she always wanted to play for England after her parents came to the UK from Calcutta in the 1970s.

Guha’s comments appeared to refer to a T20 match played between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham in 2014, when British fans of Indian descent booed Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, as well as Ravi Bopara, a batsman of Indian heritage.

Ali’s family described the behaviour as “disgraceful” and the Birmingham-born cricketer suspected it was linked to his Pakistani roots. In 2006, the England bowler Sajid Mahmood was called a “traitor” by fans of Pakistan in a Test match at Headingley, Leeds.

There has been no such controversy in the World Cup, however, and Asian supporters — who have snapped up more than 40% of tickets — have been praised for bringing a carnival atmosphere to matches.

Guha,who now works as a television and radio presenter, said she had never encountered any hostility from British Asian fans herself and believes things have improved.

This weekend Ali, who also backs the ECB plan to harness the potential of British Asian youngsters, said: “Cricket-loving Asian fans are one of the reasons why the World Cup is such a great tournament.

“It’s vitally important that south Asian communities across England and Wales are fully engaged and have the chance to play at every level of the game.”

Asians account for a third of all cricketers at club and recreational level, but only 4% of county players. The ECB has drawn-up an 11-point plan in an effort to address the vast disparity.

The strategy focuses on 10 cities with a large Asian population and the creation of a network of so-called “urban cricket centres” to foster talent. It also involves the recruitment of 2,000 female coaches and volunteers to encourage Asian girls and women to pick up a bat and ball.

A majority of fans (55%) at next Sunday’s crunch tie between England and India will be backing the “away” team, according to the organisers

Pompeo Optimistic About Peace in Brief Visit to Afghanistan En Route to Asia

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced stop in Afghanistan on his way to India as part of the South Asia leg of his regional tour. Pompeo met on June 25 with President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul, where the U.S. official said he hoped for an Afghan peace deal by Sept. 1, ahead of the country’s presidential elections later that month. Pompeo then traveled to New Delhi, where he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on June 26 to discuss a range of bilateral issues. These included trade and U.S. H1-B visas, Russian arms sales to India, proposed Indian rules that would require U.S. tech and e-commerce firms doing business in India to store their data locally and Indian security concerns in Afghanistan, Worldview Stratfor reported.

Why It Matters

Pompeo’s visit represents a U.S. effort to pursue its twin core interests in South Asia of ending the war in Afghanistan and advancing the U.S. partnership with India. Washington and the Taliban have held six rounds of talks since Oct. 18, 2018, to finalize a peace accord. An agreement has proved elusive, however, with both sides sticking to their respective demands. Washington wants a package deal in which the withdrawal of 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan comes in return for Taliban commitments to accept a cease-fire, prevent transnational terrorist groups from using Afghan territory to mount attacks and dialogue with Kabul. The Taliban meanwhile are demanding a U.S. troop withdrawal before they make any concessions.

Meanwhile, Pompeo’s visit to India comes amid lingering tensions over trade. During a joint press conference on June 26, Jaishankar suggested India would proceed with the purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense missile system, a move that could trigger U.S. sanctions under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act. Other issues that will figure in Pompeo’s discussions with India include U.S. concerns over Indian tariffs and data localization requirements, which could complicate the reach of U.S. commerce into India’s emerging market of 1.3 billion consumers. Pompeo’s visit will also aim to soothe tensions ahead of Modi’s expected sideline meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the June 28-29 G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan. Afghanistan will likely figure in the talks given Indian security concerns in the warring country.

Background

In October, the Trump administration began the first of multiple rounds of talks with the Taliban to finalize a pact ending the war in Afghanistan that the United States has fought since 2001. India, which has given Afghanistan more than $2 billion in aid since the U.S. conflict began, fears that a postconflict Afghanistan in which the Taliban play a governance role will embolden Indian archrival Pakistan, the primary external sponsor of the.

More than 80 percent girls leave the school before they reach to higher secondary level in Nepal

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By Anil Paudel

Bridging the gap between students’ transition from school to work is critical for realizing education’s potential in reducing poverty. But if return on education is measured by labor market outcomes, then this link is clearly missing in the case of Nepal. The national goal of education is to contribute to workforce development and poverty reduction, but in practice, the focus is on achieving only basic levels of education. Basic education does not guarantee a job, the main source of income and pathway out of poverty. Additionally, there is very little emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), an important dimension for workforce development and poverty reduction. Each year, more young people are entering the labor market, most of whom are girls who dropped out of school with no specific work skills. Nepal requires policy to help strengthen the connection between education and the labor market.

Despite steady progress in increasing access to primary school, retention, especially among girls, is a persistent challenge. According to the Department of Education, primary enrollment increased from 80 to 97 percent over the last 20 years, with gender parity almost achieved. However, due to sociocultural and economic factors, by the time girls reach the higher secondary level (grade 11), more than 80 percent are already out of school. Therefore, the school-to-work transition gap is bigger for girls, which then increases their vulnerability to early and forced marriage, domestic slavery, and trafficking.

There are more opportunities for high school graduates, such as pursuing higher education or seeking entry-level positions in the formal sector. But entry requirements limit the choices and opportunities for those who do not complete high school. Alternative ways of learning, such as TVET programs that prepare young people for the world of work, are limited or almost absent. The informal sector, which comes with higher likelihood of exposure to abuse and exploitation, seems like the only option for employment. In fact, two-thirds of the 2.64 million currently employed females are in the informal sector, and most of them are girls ages 15-24. Further, more than one in three girls in this age group are neither employed nor receiving education or training, indicating a higher risk of exploitation.

The current education system has not been successful in preparing the workforce required by the market, and one of the possible reasons is under-emphasis on TVET. Though TVET is part of the education system, it is not accessible to the population that needs it the most, the school dropouts. Due to lack of data in the TVET sector, reliable information about participation is not readily available. The first-ever produced “Comprehensive TVET Annual Report” suggests that it is greatly underutilized. The current intake capacity, including long- and short-term courses, is a little more than 100,000 participants, as compared to more than 500,000 new entrants in the labor market annually. It is insufficient to meet the demand. The minimum entry requirement for most of the programs is a high school degree. Due to distance, cost, and other sociocultural barriers, girls’ access to TVET programs is even more challenging.

Therefore, there is an urgent need to review the existing educational system to address the challenges of bridging the gap between young girls and employment. Either integrating TVET into the schooling system or opening separate TVET schools that target dropouts and those at risk of dropout could facilitate the school to work transition. While improving access to TVET opportunities and creating gender-sensitive environments would particularly benefit girls at higher risk of dropping out, nevertheless, it would benefit boys, as well.

As an Echidna Global Scholar, I will analyze the loopholes in the current education system in Nepal and the barriers in the school-to-work transition for girls. My work with Right4Children now and with other education organizations in the past has provided me experience working with school dropouts. Most of them, especially girls, have had dim prospects in life with limited opportunities to transition into the workplace.

TVET can be an important alternative to general education for school dropouts, and my research will inform policy measures to reshape the education system. ( This article was originally published on the Brookings.edu )

UK development sector backs India as the global home for impact investing

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London– India’s emergence as a dynamic hub for social enterprise and entrepreneurialism shows it as the best place in the world for impact investing, leading figures in business, government and philanthropy said, as they gathered for the UK-India Week Social Impact Forum hosted by the British Asian Trust on Wednesday (26 June).

The impact investing sector in India attracted over $5.2 billion between 2010 and 2016, with over $1.1 billion invested in 2016 alone.

Indian society and economics have undergone enormous change since the 1990s. Its GDP continues to grow steadily, at a rate of 7.3% in 2018/19, and it is classed as a middle-income country by the World Bank. The increasingly dynamic and innovative climate in the country is spreading to the development sector, with funding driven by the Government, local Corporate Sector Responsibility (CSR), a growing Indian philanthropy market and impact investment.

According to a newly published report on UK-India relations by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the British parliament, the Indian diaspora in the UK are a hugely important resource in developing personal and professional ties between the UK and India. Following on from evidence submitted by the British Asian Trust, the report urges the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to work more closely with the diaspora, promoting talent from the community into bespoke roles aimed at engaging Indian businesses and policy makers.

Last year the world’s largest education development impact bond (DIB) was launched in India, led by the British Asian Trust and an impressive consortium of public and private sector partners. With funding invested into education NGOs, the DIB aims to improve literacy and numeracy skills for hundreds of thousands of children, drive a focus towards outcomes in the development sector and transform the way education is funded in India. 

The Leaders’ Summit lies at the heart of UK-India Week, organised by India Inc. annually as a high-impact series of events and interactions to set the pace for the bilateral relationship.

Social Finance Forum

As part of their commitment to strengthening UK impact investment in India, the British Asian Trust and India Inc, the organisers of UK-India week, will be hosting a social finance forum with diaspora involvement in India next year.

Abha Thorat-Shah, Executive Director (Social Finance) at the British Asian Trust, said:

“India has led the way in recognising the role private sector must play if we are to succeed in overcoming the challenges posed by the Sustainable Development Goals – across education, health, gender equality, climate change and employment. It has pioneered innovative finance solutions for development, such as the $11m Quality Education Development Impact Bond to drive up literacy and numeracy standards in India, and we expect to see this continue across the country.”

“As India establishes itself as the global home for impact investing, new funders will emerge – increasing the overall pot of money in development. The potential of social finance outcome funding is huge: if just 1% of global capital market investment was dedicated to it, we could fill the SDG funding gap,” she added.

As part of UK-India Week 2019, Abha was included in the prestigious India Inc’s ‘100 Most Influential in UK- India Relations’ list – an exclusive list of key influencers and leaders that enrich and help strengthen the UK-India relationship.

Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), policy think tank of the Government of India, said,

“We welcome the commitment from our partners in the UK to continue to drive impact investment in India. India is proud to be at the forefront of an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, through Development Impact Bonds and other innovative financing mechanisms to attract new private capital. Once unleashed, we see the huge potential of this type of funding to tackle development challenges and improve the lives of successive generations. We look forward to working with the development sector in the UK to take impact investment in India to a new level in the coming years.”

The British Asian Trust, founded by HRH The Prince of Wales, which has led the way with its $11m Quality Education Development Impact Bond, has called for social finance outcome funding to help bridge the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) funding gap.

Founded in 2007, the British Asian Trust backs sustainable solutions to the challenges of poverty and injustice and has already touched more than four million lives in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Father-daughter border drowning in Rio Grande highlights migrants’ perils

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — The man and his 23-month-old daughter lay face down in shallow water along the bank of the Rio Grande, his black shirt hiked up to his chest with the girl tucked inside. Her arm was draped around his neck suggesting she clung to him in her final moments.

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – The bodies of Salvadoran migrant Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his nearly 2-year-old daughter Valeria lie on the bank of the Rio Grande in Matamoros, Mexico, Monday, June 24, 2019, after they drowned trying to cross the river to Brownsville, Texas. Martinez’ wife, Tania told Mexican authorities she watched her husband and child disappear in the strong current. (AP Photo/Julia Le Duc)

The searing photograph of the sad discovery of their bodies on Monday, captured by journalist Julia Le Duc and published by Mexican newspaper La Jornada, highlights the perils faced by mostly Central American migrants fleeing violence and poverty and hoping for asylum in the United States.

According to Le Duc’s reporting for La Jornada, Oscar Alberto Martinez Ramirez, frustrated because the family from El Salvador was unable to present themselves to US authorities and request asylum, swam across the river on Sunday with his daughter, Valeria.

He set her on the US bank of the river and started back for his wife, Tania Vanessa Avalos, but seeing him move away the girl threw herself into the waters. Martinez returned and was able to grab Valeria, but the current swept them both away.

The account was based on remarks by Avalos to police at the scene – “amid tears” and “screams” – Le Duc told The Associated Press.

Details of the incident were confirmed Tuesday by a Tamaulipas government official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, and by Martinez’s mother back in El Salvador, Rosa Ramirez, who spoke with her daughter-in-law by phone afterward.

“When the girl jumped in is when he tried to reach her, but when he tried to grab the girl, he went in further … and he couldn’t get out,” Ramirez told AP. “He put her in his shirt, and I imagine he told himself, ‘I’ve come this far’ and decided to go with her.”

From the scorching Sonoran Desert to the fast-moving Rio Grande, the 2,000-mile US-Mexico border has long been an at times deadly crossing between ports of entry. A total of 283 migrant deaths were recorded last year; the toll so far this year has not been released.

In recent weeks alone, two babies, a toddler and a woman were found dead on Sunday, overcome by the sweltering heat; elsewhere three children and an adult from Honduras died in April after their raft capsized on the Rio Grande; and a 6-year-old from India was found dead earlier this month in Arizona, where temperatures routinely soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The search for Martinez and his daughter was suspended Sunday due to darkness, and their bodies were discovered the next morning near Matamoros, Mexico, across from Brownsville, Texas, several hundred yards (meters) from where they had tried to cross and just a half-mile (1 kilometer) from an international bridge.

Tamaulipas immigration and civil defense officials have toured shelters beginning weeks ago to warn against attempting to cross the river, said to be swollen with water released from dams for irrigation. On the surface, the Rio Grande appears placid, but strong currents run beneath.

Ramirez said her son and his family left El Salvador on April 3 and spent about two months at a shelter in Tapachula, near Mexico’s border with Guatemala.

“I begged them not to go, but he wanted to scrape together money to build a home,” Ramirez said. “They hoped to be there a few years and save up for the house.”

El Salvador’s foreign ministry said it was working to assist the family including Avalos, who was at a border migrant shelter following the drownings. The bodies were expected to be flown to El Salvador on Thursday.

The photo recalls the 2015 image of a 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Mediterranean near Turkey, though it remains to be seen whether it may have the same impact in focusing international attention on migration to the US

“Very regrettable that this would happen,” Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Tuesday in response to a question about the photograph. “We have always denounced that as there is more rejection in the United States, there are people who lose their lives in the desert or crossing” the river.

There was no immediate comment from the White House.

US “metering” policy has dramatically reduced the number of migrants who are allowed to request asylum, down from dozens per day previously to sometimes just a handful at some ports of entry.

The Tamaulipas government official said the family arrived in Matamoros early Sunday and went to the US Consulate to try to get a date to request asylum. The mother is 21 years old and the father was 25, he added.

But waits are long there as elsewhere along the border – last week a shelter director said only about 40 to 45 asylum interviews were being conducted in Matamoros each week, while somewhere in the neighborhood of 800-1,700 names were on a waiting list.

It’s not clear what happened to the family at the US Consulate, but later in the day they made the decision to cross. The Tamaulipas official said the father and daughter set off from a small park that abuts the river. Civil defense officials arrived at the scene at 7 p.m. Sunday and later took the wife to the shelter.

“I was drawn to the girl’s arm on her father,” Le Duc said as she described arriving at the scene. “It was something that moved me in the extreme because it reflects that until her last breath, she was joined to him not only by the shirt but also in that embrace in which they passed together into death.”

“It’s a horrifying image,” Maureen Meyer, a specialist on immigration at the Washington Office on Latin America, which advocates for human rights in the region, said of the photograph. “And I think it speaks so clearly to the real risks of these US programs that are either returning people back to Mexico seeking asylum or in this case limiting how many people can enter the US every day.”

The United States has also been expanding its program under which asylum seekers wait in Mexico while their claims are processed in US courts, a wait that could last many months or even years.

This week Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas, the same state where Matamoros is located, said it will become the latest city to receive returnees as soon as Friday.

Many migrant shelters are overflowing on the Mexican side, and cartels hold sway over much of Tamaulipas and have been known to kidnap and kill migrants.

Meanwhile, Mexico is stepping up its own crackdown on immigration in response to US pressure, with much of the focus on slowing the flow in the country’s south.

“With greater crackdowns and restrictions,” said Cris Ramon, senior immigration policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center think tank in Washington, “we could see more desperate measures by people trying to enter Mexico or the US” (AP)

Bangladesh second largest FDI recipient in South Asia: Report

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Niaz Mahmud , Dhaka — Bangladesh registered a record level of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow in 2018, topping the list in South Asia, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

In 2018, Bangladesh reached the highest ever level in the country’s history at $3.61 billion, according to World Investment Report 2019 by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The report said FDI in Bangladesh went up by 67.94% in 2018 compared to $2.15 billion in 2017.

The report was unveiled at a media briefing, organized by Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), at a Dhaka city hotel on Monday, which was published worldwide on June 12.

Salman F Rahman, MP, private industry and investment adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, inaugurated the program as chief guest.

Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) Executive Chairman Paban Chowdhury, Principal Coordinator on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Affairs of Prime Minister’s Office Md Abul Kalam Azad and Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) President Sheikh Fazle Fahim were also present in the event.

BIDA Executive Chairman Kazi Aminul Islam chaired the program. Executive Director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh (PRI) Ahsan H Mansur delivered the keynote presentation.

While China became the leading investor in the country with $1.03 billion, the United States, traditionally the top investor, dropped to fourth with only $0.17 billion in FDI for 2018 in Bangladesh, as per the report.

The Netherlands stood as the second largest investor with of $0.69 billion, and the United Kingdom was the third highest investor with $0.37 billion.

Despite initial delays, Bangladesh was on the right track to attract FDI, the speakers said at the event.

Meanwhile, the report says, the investment flow across the world continued to decline for the third consecutive year in 2018, falling by 13 percent to $1.3 trillion from a revised figure of $1.5 trillion in 2017.

Bangladesh scenario

According to the report, Bangladesh saw the increase in FDI inflow because of significant investments in power generation and labour intensive industries like readymade garments, and also because of the $1.5 billion acquisition of United Dhaka Tobacco by Japan Tobacco.

According to the UNTACD report, equity investment increased by 108.6% to $1.12 billion, which was $0.54 billion, while reinvestment increased by 2.32% to $1.30 billion. Clearly, investor confidence in Bangladesh has improved, it notes.

On top of that, intra-company loans also increased for the same period by 254%, from $333.24 million to $1.18 billion.

The power sector alone attracted investments worth $1.01 billion, where China contributed $0.83 billion, followed by $0.73 billion in the food sector, and $0.43 billion in the textile sector, it says.

For attracting the FDI, Salman Fazlur Rahman said, the government was establishing special economic zones (SEZs) across the country.

He said: “If we want to have real investment, we have to develop infrastructure. We have already given licences to 11 private SEZs. The government is also establishing public SEZs. Moreover, we are establishing country-specific SEZs,”

He said several mega projects were ongoing for developing infrastructure and after implementation of the mega projects, the inflow of FDI would increase further.

Salman said the result of new ranking in ease of doing business index would be announced at the end of this year and Bangladesh’s position in doing business ranking would be improved as the government was implementing various initiatives.

Abul Kalam Azad said Bangladesh was moving forward by achieving remarkable success in all major indicators. “We are now focusing on investment. If we can increase our investment, revenue will be increased automatically,” he said.

South Asia scenario

FDI inflows in South Asia grew by 4% in 2018 to $54 billion. FDI to India, which accounted for 70 to 80% of inflows in sub-region, increased by 6 % to $42 billion.

Inflows in Sri Lanka also reached a record level of $1.6 billion, pushed by robust Asian investments, including those from China, India and Singapore.

Pakistan, the fourth largest recipient of FDI in the sub-region, registered a 27% decrease in investment to $2.4 billion. Nepal FDI received $1.6 billion and the Maldives received $0.55 billion. Bhutan’s FDI inflow declined by 160% year-on-year to log at $0.5 billion last year.

Challenges 

One of the big challenges, according to the report, is the new industrial revolution, which could erode the importance of low labour costs, the traditional competitive edge of most SEZs. “SEZs will need to anticipate trends in their targeted industries and adapt,” UNCTAD report says.

Ahsan H Mansur said that lack of necessary land, infrastructure shortage and lagging behind in the standard of World Bank ease of doing business were the main challenges for FDI.

“The recommendations in WIR aim to provide guidance for policymakers in their efforts to revitalize and upgrade existing zones, and to build new ones that avoid the pitfalls of the past and are prepared for the challenges ahead,” he said.

The World Bank’s Doing Business report for 2019 lists Bangladesh as 176th out of 190 countries in terms of ease of doing business.

Salman F Rahman said: “We are amending various laws. We have a target to come down below 50 within the 24-month and in double digit within the 12 months.”

He also informed that an integrated one stop service (OSS) centre under BIDA would be developed within a year for getting all approvals to start business in the country within a short time.

Setting ambitious goals for SEZ expansion

To accelerate economic growth and diversification, Bangladesh established two new agencies in 2010, tasked with leading the development of economic zones and high-tech parks: the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and the Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority.

Paban Chowdhury said that the government should increase the collection of revenue from VAT and income tax instated of customs duty to attract more FDI.

FDI  inflows  to  the  13  LDCs  in  Asia  and  Oceania  reached  a  record  high  of  $12  billion. Two  manufactures  exporters — Bangladesh  and  Cambodia — registered new record levels of $3.6 billion and $3.1 billion, respectively.

Ahsan H Mansur said that the trade war between the USA and China might have created some new opportunities for attracting investments from China — both domestic and foreign.

Kazi Aminul Islam said that Bangladesh become a potential hub for investment as the government was providing all sorts of supports to the investors.

“Factors such as sound economic growth, a young talented workforce, and infrastructural development necessary to attract investments are visible in Bangladesh. So foreign investors have poured funds here, giving FDI a sharp rise, despite global slowdown,” he said.

About 15% tax on the retained earnings and reserve of a company, Salman said: “We are working at it.”

Code of conduct to address the dispute with China on the disputed South China Sea is Underway

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Bangkok — Southeast Asian nations say their first draft of a code of conduct with China on the disputed South China Sea is ahead of schedule and may be finished by the end of this year, Bloomberg reported.

The 10-nation group, known as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or Asean, said the two sides were moving swiftly to complete talks on the text to “reduce tensions and the risk of accidents, misunderstandings and miscalculation,” according to a statement following its regional summit in Bangkok this weekend.

“We warmly welcomed the continued improving cooperation between Asean and China and were encouraged by the progress of the substantive negotiations towards the early conclusion,” according to the statement.

Nepal Airlines to operate additional flights to New Delhi, India, and UAE

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Kathmandu — National flag-carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), is to operate additional flights to international destinations.

The NAC is going to add three flights to New Delhi, India, and one to UAE. Assistant Spokesperson of NAC, Nabaraj Koirala, said that the NAC is going to add more flights in two destinations, the Rising Nepal reported.

He said that flights have now been added in New Delhi and UAE routes as per the NAC’s plan of increasing utilization of its aircrafts and operating flights as far as possible from available pilots. The NAC has got slot from the airport to add additional flights to these two destinations.

NAC would make equal seven flights on the Kathmandu-New Delhi route through wide-body and narrow-body aircraft.

With this, number of flights to New Delhi would reach 14 in a week against 11 and four flights to UAE from three. The NAC has set a target to operate 21 flights to New Delhi in a week.
The NAC has been operating flights to eight destinations of different countries through two wide-body, two narrow-body aircraft and one Boeing.

The process has been forwarded to carry out the aircraft repair and maintenance works by the corporation’s engineers from July. This work is now being done by international company, BCT. NAC says this would save it Rs 6 million a month.

Similarly, NAC has got certificate by having a successful audit (ISO 9001: 2015) done from the Continuing Airworthiness Management Department last month. Similarly it has got its ISAGO, an evaluation of the ground handling made by IATA, successfully renewed and awarded a certificate, which, according to NAC, has guaranteed the safety of its international level flights.

Indian family on vacation in Ireland racially abused

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PTI, LONDON – – An Indian family on a vacation to Ireland has been allegedly racially abused in an hour-long tirade against their “accents, skin colour and nationality” by a beer-gulping man on a train to Dublin, according to a media report.

Prasun Bhattachrjee, on a three-day visit to Ireland, with his family were on a train from Belfast to Dublin when they were racially abused by another passenger, the Irish Times reported.

The call from the Immigrant Council of Ireland came after Mr Bhattachrjee and his parents had to endure to an hour-long tirade against their accents, skin colour and culture, by a man who was drinking from a can of beer, and who sat beside them on their journey, it said.

Mr Bhattachrjee said the person had abused his family for their “skin colour, nationality and other things”. He said he believed the man was drunk, the report said.

Mr Bhattachrjee said the abuse continued as the man sat with them and continued to insult them all the way to Dublin.

“We felt so bad,” Mr Bhattachrjee said.

A train guard had come along as the man was moving about the carriage talking into a mobile phone, but the man had not been put off the train and the abuse had continued, he was quoted as saying by the report.

Another passenger, who was identified only as Peter, said “the train guard could have done more”.

Peter said the guard had told the man to sit down but had made no intervention in relation to the man”s abuse. He said the man had been “boisterous”.

Peter said he approached Mr Bhattachrjee and his parents when the journey ended and apologised to them.

Pippa Woolnough, communications and advocacy manager with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, said the incident highlighted the need for a more proactive approach to tackling racism.

“How we respond to this kind of thing is crucial,” she said.

Irish Rail spokesman Barry Kenny said it was “a shocking incident”, and Irish Rail was “very sorry that this family experienced such disgraceful behaviour on board one of our train services”.

He said on board personnel did endeavour to stop the racial harassment, and also arranged for security to meet the train at Connolly upon arrival.

Irish Rail has been contacted by the customer directly on social media, and has asked for further information to assist in the investigation.

“We have also been contacted by other customers with information. We will also provide gardai, the police service of the Republic of Ireland, with CCTV footage to help identify the individual involved. Abuse of this nature has no place on our trains or anywhere in our society,” said Kenny.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan declares a climate emergency

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London — The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has declared a climate emergency. As part of London’s response to this, the first ever London Climate Action Week will be held from 1-8 July.

According to the press note from the portal of The Mayor of London, the week will bring together London’s climate expertise and talent from across sectors to run events across the city focused on taking local, national and international action. These events will highlight the scaling up of practical solutions and identifying new solutions to help cut our carbon emissions to keep global temperature increases within 1.5C and support the Paris Agreement.

The Mayor is working with E3G and other partners to convene events by Londoners, businesses, civil society groups and local, national and international governments.

London is a world leader in climate action with a diverse concentration of businesses, NGOs and academic institutions working with governments and communities to develop and deliver solutions. Its businesses and organisations are a hub of expertise in finding solutions to cutting carbon emissions and adapting to the impact of climate change both locally and globally.

The city is on a pathway to become zero carbon, and Londoners are taking low carbon actions every day.

London Climate Action Week will focus on:

  • community action and business leadership on climate
  • clean energy and energy efficiency
  • adaptation and resilience
  • climate finance and investment
  • legal, engineering and other environmental consultancy services
  • low emission transport
  • London’s role in driving UK and international climate leadership

China wants to develop the South Asian countries through BRI : Expert

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Kathmandu : Professor Wang Yuzhu, a Chinese foreign policy expert, said on Saturday that China wanted to develop the South Asian countries through the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI), national daily of Nepal The Rising Nepal reported.

The Director of Department of Regional Cooperation Studies, National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Science, Wang, said that the South Asian countries were an integral part of the Initiative introduced by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

The South Asian countries are the neighbours of China and the important partners for cooperation of BRI, he said, adding that China expected a proper cooperation from the South Asian Countries to implement the Initiative for the overall economic and social development of these countries.

“Infrastructure connectivity, industrial investment, resource development, economic and cooperation, cultural exchange, ecological protection and maritime cooperation are the project priority of BRI. These elements are equally importance for achieving the sustainable growth of any countries,” he said at an interaction on “One Belt One Road: China’s Expectations of South Asia,’ organised by China Culture Centre in Nepal and Arniko Society.
The objective of the BRI is to focus on developing infrastructure connectivity as it is more essential for attracting investment from both domestic and international community, he said, adding that development of many countries was backed due to lack of investment for enhancing connectivity.
Stating that the China has started the concept of BRI for the last five years aiming to take the cooperation of China to the foreign countries and boost the economies of member countries, he said that a ray of hope for cooperation through the BRI was increasing.
He said that the BRI would be of special importance for the global cooperation and world economy through bringing more countries in the global production and price network at a time when America started a trade war with its conservative mind-set.
“It is natural for the Western countries to blame the BRI of China as dangerous when China is occupying around 12 per cent of the international trade,” he said.
He said that cooperation between China and the South Asian countries had not ended even though the some of the projects had been criticised by the Western countries due to geopolitical sensitivity.

Foreign TV channels taken off-air for a day to protest new legislation In Nepal

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Kathmandu (ANI): Shoyeb Khan, a cricket enthusiast, missed watching the World Cup Cricket 2019 match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh on Monday owing to a channel blackout organized by the Nepali Cable operators as a mark of protest against a new legislation.

Despite repeated tries, the 20 years old cricket lover failed to tune in to the channel that aired the match between the two Indian Sub-continent nations.

“I am a very big cricket fan. I could not watch the game between Pakistan and Afghanistan because of the channel blackouts. The match was scheduled to start at 3:15 pm (local time) and because of the channel blackout, I could not watch it. No channels were on-air and I tried searching time and again,” Shoyeb Khan told ANI.

Cable TV operators in Nepal shut down the broadcast of foreign channels for a day, as a mark of protest against Advertisement (Regulation) Bill proposed by the government. The 24-hour-long shutdown began at 3 pm on Monday. The protesting parties have said that the move was a dummy step taken to show what the protest could lead to if the legislation is implemented.

“We took this step to show the dummy effect of the legislation the government is trying to impose. This was the sample of how the televisions will look like if it is implemented,” Internet and Digital Pay TV Co-ordination Committee said in a release.

About 85 per cent of the channels airing in Nepal are Foreign channels. The Protesting committee argues that the new legislature would set a limit to the choice of television channels available to the viewers, and thus affect the market competition. Furthermore, the regulation would result in joblessness, considering that an estimated 15,000 people in the country are employed in this sector.

“If (the legislation is) implemented, (the) cost of Digital Television Adapter (DTA), Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) services rendered by various companies would skyrocket. Ultimately the viewers would end up paying that high amount,” the release added.

The Advertisement (Regulation) Bill has a mandatory provision that bars foreign channels from broadcasting advertisements. The former governments of Nepal had made attempts to bring this legislation but later stepped back following strong protests from the concerning parties.

Furthermore, the new regulations would require the foreign channels, including the Indian channels, to set up separate companies dedicated to serving Nepal. The bill is currently under discussion in Nepal’s lower house.

10th Birthday, the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival

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The 10th anniversary of London Indian Film Festival, the UK and Europe’s largest South Asian film festival, supported by the Bagri Foundation and the BFI, has launched with the opening gala world premiere of Anubhav Sinha’s much-anticipated, social issue drama ‘Article 15’, BizAsia reported.

Amongst the special guests that graced the red carpet event were director Anubhav Sinha, who has directed ‘Article 15’. Actress Radhika Apte, actor and Harshvarrdhan Kapoor were also present along with Sampha, Antonia Aakeel, Lisa Haydon, Srishty Rode, Gurinder Chadha and Yazmin Oukhellou.

London Indian Film Festival, which runs across five cities from 20th June to 8th July, continues to showcase a rich assortment of entertaining and thought provoking independent cinema, including India’s new wave of LGBTQ+ films.

Awareness and Treatment of Sleep Apnea in South Asia by Resmed

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ResMed has appointed Shubhi Khurana as general manager for India and South Asia.

Khurana, former general manager of Capsugel India Region (now Lonza), oversees business operations including setting strategic priorities, evolving team and go-to-market models for ResMed’s long-term growth. She aims to enhance ResMed’s leadership in the region by enabling efforts in developing innovative technology-enabled care pathways and improving patients’ therapy experiences, Sleepreviewmag reported.

These initiatives also encompass market development and awareness measures to educate the public, medical community, and decision makers about the prevalence of sleep and respiratory diseases in South Asia, as well as how to diagnose and treat them at home with cloud-connectable non-invasive devices. These campaigns support efforts to address the under-penetration of sleep and respiratory care markets in India and neighboring countries.

“Sleep apnea and COPD are global health epidemics and are especially prevalent in Asia,” says Justin Leong, president of ResMed’s Asia Growth Markets, in a release. “In India, these diseases are highly underdiagnosed due to low awareness amongst both doctors and the general community. Given the link between these diseases, and other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cognitive disorders, and cancer, it is critical we continue to educate and treat people with these conditions. We are thrilled to have Shubhi join us at this important time.”

Khurana says, “I am excited to accept this critical role and to grow both public awareness of the health epidemics ResMed helps treat and ResMed’s own reputation as an important digital health leader in this space. Research on the impacts of sleep apnea and COPD are only a few decades old. Therefore, the potential to make an impact in people lives and their health through ResMed’s innovative offerings is a great opportunity in itself.”

Khurana has more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and medtech industries in various leadership roles. Before Capsugel, she worked at Baxter and Baxalta (now Takeda), building its critical care, rare diseases, and surgical kits business.