This pre-feasibility study develops a practical and implementable program to develop the Sarawak (Malaysia)–West Kalimantan (Indonesia) border area (within a broad geographic context), based on specific industry value chains. It identifies concrete and high-impact projects that will advance implementation of an integrated border area development program for West Kalimantan. It maps the optimal configuration of Sarawak–West Kalimantan cross-border trade and investment in goods and services; and, concurrently, provides the design of a border area development plan for the two territories. As a pre-feasibility study, we examine a wide range of industry options and determine which projects are economically viable within the socioeconomic, institutional, and political context of Sarawak and West Kalimantan. We follow the same analytical approach as that for the pilot project study of North Kalimantan and Sabah, which serves as a high-profile demonstration pre-feasibility study for this and other border area development programs.

This study examines the investment climate impacting on decisions to invest in the economic corridors of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). The key factors identified by businesses as impacting on their investment decisions in BIMP-EAGA’s corridors are complementarities in cross-border production activities and services, investment incentives, hard and soft infrastructure, the regulatory environment, governance, and other issues affecting cross-border investments.

The present evaluation is the midterm assessment of EIF Tier 1. It aims to examine and provide feedback on
whether the project is performing well and moving towards the achievement of its objectives and targets. It
also identifies obstacles to performance and, where applicable, suggests remedial actions where the project
might not be on track. In this way, it provides justification for the extension of Tier 1 for an additional two
years. Finally, the evaluation serves as a possible input to any separate evaluation of the global EIF program
that may take place in the future.

Special economic zone (SEZ) evaluation of implementation practices at provincial level, and national policy and regulatory framework.

The report offers a comprehensive analysis and recommendations for the formulation of a new trade support initiative, as a continuation phase of the current Trade Development Facility (TDF). It is based on the TDF lessons learned to date, the actionable recommendations of the DTIS Update for the 7th NSEDP and the National Export Strategy (NES), and meetings conducted under the Joint TDF/EIF Implementation Support Mission on November 8-18, 2011. The new project will support implementation of the DTIS Update and its Action Matrix, which will in turn contribute to the implementation of the Government’s trade strategy linked to the 7th National Social and Economic Development Plan (NSEDP) covering 2011‐2015. It will also provide trade-related assistance for capacity building and technical assistance for trade-related policy reforms linked to the Poverty Reduction Support Operation (PRSO), and it will help the Trade and Private Sector Working Group of the Round Table Process for aid effectiveness to build consensus about development priorities and improve aid coordination as set out in the Vientiane Declaration Country Action Plan.

Proponents of the decoupling view argue that Asian economies now have more diversified export markets, and they also point to more robust domestic and intra-regional growth drivers that are independent of the US and other developed economies. China in particular has the potential to drive that intra-regional growth, a phenomenon that has already by exemplified by the emergence of its large trade and investments with East and Southeast Asia. There are, nonetheless, a large number of opponents to this view. Those who argue that decoupling is unlikely to occur point to the fact that intra-regional and extra-regional trade flows in Asia are largely made up of parts and components that eventually supply the United States and other developed economies. Reversing that pattern in Asia, they argue, would be neither feasible nor desirable.

The present study examines the empirical evidence underlying these arguments as a means of establishing some forwarding looking views about what options are available to the Asian economies. First, it demonstrates that the strong linkages both within Asia and between Asia and the United States and Europe have not waned in the last 25 years. Second, the study finds that there are significant downside risks for the recovery of growth in the United States and Europe. Thirdly, the types of goods produced in Asia as outsourcing for large enterprises is likely to incorporate more second-generation technology that could increasingly promote intra-regional production networks. Another finding of the study is that stock market indicators in Asia are highly correlated with the major financial centers in the United States and Europe. Finally, pegged and managed exchange rates will likely continue to form part of the policy tools used in most Asian economies, notwithstanding the lessons from the Asian financial crisis.

This report describes four clusters for organic vegetables along the East West Economic Corridor (EWEC). These clusters have three goals: (a) to foster the conversion of conventional agricultural farming to organic production, and thereby enable the generation of high value-added activities; (b) to promote linkages among micro and small scale producers, and thereby improve their competitive position within the value chain; and (c) to spur the development of agricultural activities affecting the majority of the EWEC population either directly or indirectly, and thereby enable the transformation of the EWEC transport and logistics corridor into a full-fledged economic corridor. The report builds on an earlier study that mapped EWEC value chains for organic vegetables.

A "one-size-fits-all" approach to clustering of organic vegetable activities along the Corridor is neither feasible or practical. Our approach has therefore been to design each cluster in terms of the specific characteristics of their producers, markets and support systems. We have based the characterization of the clusters on three criteria: (1) stage of product development, since clusters differ in terms of their products coverage (e.g., fresh vegetables versus packaged products versus processed products) or types of services (e.g., organic farm-stays and eco-tourism); (2) stage of market development, since the rate at which cluster develop is determined by the use of technologies, certifications, branding, packaging, marketing and logistics; and (3) stages of public-private sector support, since the rate of cluster development often depends on the availability of support systems and these systems vary across areas along the corridor.

Trade-related poverty impact assessment of cross-border trade impact on poverty and social issues along East-West Economic Corridor of Greater Mekong Subregion.

PRSO actions have supported trade and PSD reforms through: (i) close working relations between donors and line ministries, which have helped foster government ownership; (ii) good collaboration between donors financing PRSO; (iii) disseminating information about program activities to donors not financing the PRSO; (iv) adapting policy actions to changing circumstances for Government and the economy at large during the programmatic series; and (v) availability of TA resources through the TDF and SME Promotion and Development Office (SMEPDO) where needed. The program’s effectiveness has proven especially helpful in promoting inter-ministerial cooperation, and providing TA support for PRSO actions that have concurrently built staff capabilities in line ministries.

Sustainability of the Asian growth model, delinking possibilities, and policy prescriptions.