South Asian Bond Markets

The financial sectors in South Asia Region (SAR) are dominated by commercial banks, which account for the vast majority of the financial system's assets. The domestic debt markets including the government bond and corporate bond markets are at an early stage of development and there are few institutional investors. In recent years, countries in SAR have attempted to develop local debt markets, although the pace of development remains uneven and slow due to many regulatory and institutional impediments. With the notable exception of India, governments in SAR have yet to implement measures required for the proper development of the domestic bond markets. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the major bond markets in SAR (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) highlighting the areas which need further reforms. It is hoped that the book will contribute to our knowledge of bond markets in South Asian countries and create a broad based ownership of the recommendations made by the authors.

This paper was delivered by Dr Olarn Chaipravat at a seminar jointly organised by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and the Saw Centre for Financial Studies in Singapore on September 30th 2004.

The Asian Bond Markets Initiative (ABMI) was launched in December 2002 by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People’s Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea---collectively known as ASEAN+3 to strengthen financial stability and reduce the region’s vulnerability to the sudden reversal of capital flows. This paper also provides recommendations for addressing new sources of market volatility and other challenges within and outside the framework of the Asian Bond Markets Initiative.

Since the Asia and Tequila crises of the late 1990s, a growing number of emerging market countries have focused on developing local bond markets to lock in local currency, fixed-rate and long-term funding, and help governments and corporations better manage their financing risks. International organizations from Washington to Southeast Asia are pushing bond market development, to reduce global instability by improving domestic risk management. This book is part of the International Finance Corporation's efforts to assist countries in South Asia and other parts of the world to identify their need for local bond markets, the impediments to developing them, and how those impediments might be removed. The book is based on papers presented at the South Asian Debt Market Symposium held in Sri Lanka in October 1999. It provides valuable insights to emerging market nations wrestling with the issue of building local bond markets. This book will be of interest to bond market specialists, policymakers, and the private sector.

CD-ROM contains: Research and background information for the report.

This comprehensive book provides detailed descriptions and analysis of the bond markets in eight East Asian developing economies: Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Drawing on the most recent data available, Emery assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each countrys bond market, concluding with comparisons of the eight countries bond markets. The book will be an invaluable reference for economists, policymakers, and all those interested in emerging capital markets. }Drawing on the most recent data available, this comprehensive book provides detailed descriptions and analysis of the bond markets in eight East Asian developing economies: Hong Kong, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Robert Emery devotes a full chapter to evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of each countrys bond market. For each country, Emery describes the history of the bond market and identifies its key participants, the different types of bonds, and the current terms for bond issues. He also discusses the size of the bond market, the bond issuing process, trading procedures and the structure of the market, the clearing and settlement system, and fees and taxes. Finally, he lists the regulators of the market, current regulations, and bond rating agencies; assesses the markets past performance; and offers suggestions for improvement.Each country chapter is organized into a standard format, making it easy for the reader to locate and compare specific information. Emery concludes the book with cross-country comparisons of the eight countries bond markets. It will be an invaluable reference for economists, policymakers, and all those interested in emerging capital markets. }

Provides a comprehensive survey of the East Asian bond markets, identifies best practices for fostering their development, and presents a broad agenda for further reforms. East Asia's spectacular economic performance over the past several decades has been marked by macroeconomic stability, consistent growth, low inflation, the lowering of trade barriers, and an overall improvement in living standards. The region now has a well developed banking system and boasts four of the top 20 stock markets in the world. Its bond markets, however, are relatively small and at an early stage of development. This report provides a comprehensive survey of the East Asian bond markets, identifies best practices for fostering their development, and presents a broad agenda of reforms for their further development. The report, which is based on studies of bond markets in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, finds great diversity among those markets. It was presented at the Emerging Asian Bond Market Conference, co-sponsored by the World Bank and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and held in Hong Kong, June 26-27, 1995. It is believed that with the proper institutional prerequisites in place, the markets will grow very rapidly and become a leading source of financing for the region. "The [study] and this conference mark the World Bank's increasing support and participation in the development of bond markets in the region." --Joseph Yam, Chief Executive, Hong Kong Monetary Authority