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Billion-dollar tech startups hold promise for China’s economy
Chinese tech companies listed in China and Hong Kong have seen their shares plunge this year, amid a market shakeout. But while the Shanghai Composite Index is down about 20% since the beginning of 2018, analysts say that there is still appetite for good startups.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Bill Gates, on China trip, lauds free trade – and futuristic toilets
U.S. billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates unveiled on Tuesday in Beijing a futuristic toilet that doesn’t need water or sewers and uses chemicals to turn human waste into fertilizer.
- Categories
- WASH
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- global development, SDGs
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Report: Over 8 of 10 Small Banks, Microlenders and Co-Ops in the Philippines are Not Ready to Go Digital
“The dominant picture in our data is that majority of financial institutions are not yet ready to transform their business at this point, confirming anecdotal evidence long held by the industry,” wrote FINTQ in the report. “This conclusion indeed raises a notch higher the urgency in enabling financial institutions to be digitally ready, as the pattern uncovered in our data has profound implications on the country’s progress towards expanding financial inclusion in the countryside.”
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Social enterprises need to adapt to disruptions in economy, says Singaporean president
"To stay relevant, social enterprises need to switch business practices or adopt new technologies quickly to respond to the changing dynamics of business today," said President Halimah Yacob
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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IFC and Alipay Announce 10×1000 Tech for Inclusion Programme to Inspire Technology Leaders in Emerging Markets
Alibaba Group founder and Executive Chairman Jack Ma said that the programme aims to build an interactive and open platform to increase support for tech leaders and skilled individuals who are working to alleviate poverty and make basic financial services more broadly accessible in Indonesia, which will be the first stop of the programme within emerging markets.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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‘Fintech can transform Asia’s women entrepreneurs’
The ESCAP initiative, launched on 29 September on a side meeting during the 2018 UN General Assembly, viewed women’s entrepreneurship as key to economic growth and inclusion.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Viewpoint: China’s Role As The World’s Development Bank Cannot Be Ignored
China's far-reaching financing carries considerable risks — for China and the borrowers alike. Rather than welcoming China and helping it learn the hard lessons learned by others, the United States is mistakenly shunning Chinese development finance around the globe.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Report: Tencent, Ant Financial Entry to Boost Philippines Financial Services
Tencent and US-based private equity firm KKR marked their entry in the Philippines on October 4 following a deal to invest up to $175 million in PLDT’s digital arm Voyager Innovations.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific