Trade facilitation, by reducing trade costs and raising the efficiency of moving goods across borders, is integral to international trade. Using novel data on bilateral time and cost measures for trade facilitation in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, this study estimates the trade impact of reducing time and cost at border crossing points within CAREC. It finds that (i) time taken at an importer border is more influential in promoting trade than at the exporter border, and (ii) at an importer's border, time is a more objective measure than cost in determining trade flow changes. Gravity model estimations show that reducing time at the importer border by 10% increases intraregional trade among CAREC countries by 1.41%. However, simulation results show that trade facilitation only at borders may not be sufficiently effective to lead to broader economic impacts in the CAREC region; rather, holistic approaches at and behind borders are needed.

This paper provides debt ratio projections and heat maps that indicate widening pockets of vulnerability in Asia and the Pacific. It discusses the challenges for policy makers working to restore public finances after a series of crises. While the outlook does not yet suggest a widespread debt meltdown looming in the region, the global environment presents major challenges. Obstacles to economic growth and rising borrowing costs risk jeopardizing efforts to restore public finances and to ensure their sustainability. Economies in or close to distress face complications from a complex creditors landscape.

This paper presents debt fan charts constructed using the quantile regression approach for nine developing member countries of ADB. Macroeconomic and fiscal determinants of debt are forecasted using quantile regression and the resulting projections are shown in the fan charts for India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the People’s Republic of China, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Furthermore, the fan charts present the uncertainty in the path of debt, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This research paper determined the status of compliance to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department Order (D.O.) 174 of selected fast-food establishments in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The researchers find this important, especially to the large fast-food corporation, as this will be able to eliminate possible penalties that the DOLE may impose on them once proven violating the said D.O. with regards to labor contractualization. The methodology used in this research is an evaluative-descriptive survey with a guided questionnaire as the main instrument. The study involved 15 purposively chosen respondents. Findings of the study indicated that some of the fast food restaurants in Cabanatuan were still non-compliant to some o f the requirements under D.O. 174. This stemmed fro m duplication of work between regular employees and 3 rd party employee arising from the agency, in terms of directing and controlling 3 rd party employees as stated in the DOLE Department order which prohibits the principal on direct involvement for non-regular employees. The study recommends that the management of selected fast-food establishments should conduct a thorough review of the content of Department Order-174 and develop and empower their team leaders through capability building programs so that they will be firm in their designation and can perform their duties and responsibilities effectively.