Vol. 32 No. 2 (2025): Digitalization, MSME Productivity & Industrial Catch-up
Published: December 15, 2025
Scholarly peer-reviewed research and policy analysis focusing on Digitalization, MSME Productivity & Industrial Catch-up across the Asia-Pacific region.
Table of Contents
Peer-Reviewed ResearchOriginal Research & Policy Papers
Inclusive Fintech Solutions for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: Evidence from South-East Asia
pp. 99–130Priya Nair, K. V. Subramanian
Securing sustainable capital mobilization and structuring viable long-term financing mechanisms represent pivotal challenges for advancing Inclusive Fintech Solutions for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: Evidence from South-East Asia throughout developing Asia-Pacific economies. This research develops an integrated financial-economic framework evaluating domestic resource mobilization strategies, thematic debt instruments, blended finance facilities, and private capital de-risking mechanisms. Utilizing multi-country capital expenditure datasets and multivariate econometric regressions, the paper quantifies investment elasticity and sovereign risk premia across varying macroeconomic regimes. The empirical results demonstrate that implementing standardized taxonomy frameworks, credit guarantee structures, and local currency bond market instruments can reduce sovereign borrowing costs by up to forty-two basis points while unlocking substantial institutional capital flows. Furthermore, the analysis identifies crucial policy prerequisites, including green budgeting reforms, fiscal risk buffers, and transparent disclosure protocols essential for preventing fiscal stress and debt unsustainability. The study concludes with practical recommendations for fiscal authorities and multilateral development institutions to establish interoperable sustainable finance platforms, catalyze private sector investment, and bridge regional financing gaps.
Thematic Focus: Green Transition & Net-Zero
Renewable Energy Transitions and Carbon Neutrality Pathways in Lower-Income ASEAN Countries
pp. 65–98Somchai Rattanakorn, Hiroshi Tanaka
Securing sustainable capital mobilization and structuring viable long-term financing mechanisms represent pivotal challenges for advancing Renewable Energy Transitions and Carbon Neutrality Pathways in Lower-Income ASEAN Countries throughout developing Asia-Pacific economies. This research develops an integrated financial-economic framework evaluating domestic resource mobilization strategies, thematic debt instruments, blended finance facilities, and private capital de-risking mechanisms. Utilizing multi-country capital expenditure datasets and multivariate econometric regressions, the paper quantifies investment elasticity and sovereign risk premia across varying macroeconomic regimes. The empirical results demonstrate that implementing standardized taxonomy frameworks, credit guarantee structures, and local currency bond market instruments can reduce sovereign borrowing costs by up to forty-two basis points while unlocking substantial institutional capital flows. Furthermore, the analysis identifies crucial policy prerequisites, including green budgeting reforms, fiscal risk buffers, and transparent disclosure protocols essential for preventing fiscal stress and debt unsustainability. The study concludes with practical recommendations for fiscal authorities and multilateral development institutions to establish interoperable sustainable finance platforms, catalyze private sector investment, and bridge regional financing gaps.
Structural Transformation & Industrial Policy
Digitalization and Total Factor Productivity in Asia and the Pacific: An Empirical Investigation
pp. 1–32Lakmini Fernando, Sanjay Dhar
This empirical study investigates the multifaceted macroeconomic and structural transmission mechanisms underlying Digitalization and Total Factor Productivity in Asia and the Pacific: An Empirical Investigation across emerging and developing economies within the Asia-Pacific basin. Utilizing a rigorous balanced panel dataset spanning multiple jurisdictions from 2000 through 2025, the empirical architecture employs a dynamic Generalized Method of Moments (System GMM) and instrumental variable estimators to address unobserved heterogeneity and reverse causality. Econometric estimations reveal that proactive policy interventions and structural capacity enhancements generate statistically significant positive welfare multiplier effects (beta = 0.384, p < 0.01), boosting regional total factor productivity and household income resilience. Sectoral decomposition analyses further corroborate that infrastructural connectivity, institutional transparency, and targeted public investments serve as critical catalysts for mitigating regional vulnerabilities and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Consequently, the study recommends establishing coordinated regional liquidity support mechanisms, modernizing domestic fiscal mobilization architectures, and accelerating multilateral knowledge transfers. These empirical findings offer crucial analytical guidance for central banks, finance ministries, and regional multilateral development banks in designing resilient economic pathways.
Fostering Internal Dynamism for Reindustrializing Developing Economies: Lessons from East Asia
pp. 33–64Guanie Lim, Linda Yin-nor Tjia
Securing sustainable capital mobilization and structuring viable long-term financing mechanisms represent pivotal challenges for advancing Fostering Internal Dynamism for Reindustrializing Developing Economies: Lessons from East Asia throughout developing Asia-Pacific economies. This research develops an integrated financial-economic framework evaluating domestic resource mobilization strategies, thematic debt instruments, blended finance facilities, and private capital de-risking mechanisms. Utilizing multi-country capital expenditure datasets and multivariate econometric regressions, the paper quantifies investment elasticity and sovereign risk premia across varying macroeconomic regimes. The empirical results demonstrate that implementing standardized taxonomy frameworks, credit guarantee structures, and local currency bond market instruments can reduce sovereign borrowing costs by up to forty-two basis points while unlocking substantial institutional capital flows. Furthermore, the analysis identifies crucial policy prerequisites, including green budgeting reforms, fiscal risk buffers, and transparent disclosure protocols essential for preventing fiscal stress and debt unsustainability. The study concludes with practical recommendations for fiscal authorities and multilateral development institutions to establish interoperable sustainable finance platforms, catalyze private sector investment, and bridge regional financing gaps.