ADB gathers entreps anew in 2018 business fair
MANDALUYONG CITY – Entrepreneurs from Europe and Asia flocked to Manila to forge stronger ties as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held its annual Business Opportunities Fair (BOF) on March 14 and 15.
Aside from network building, the said forum also allowed ADB to discuss pressing issues in business processes in the Asian region.
Businessmen from various countries converged to explore opportunities in Asia, a continent with blooming population and promising economies.
Among the key issues discussed were energy, agriculture, environment and natural resources, urban infrastructure, public management and finance, transportation, and health and education issues.
However, foremost among the issues discussed was the need to invest in Asia and boost its infrastructures. According to a report delivered at the BOF plenary session, Asia would need a 26-trillion US dollar boost for infrastructure in 2030.
Such a need for infrastructure, the ADB reported was met with a surge in population. From 1996 to 2015 alone, the Asian population dramatically surged from 1.72 to 3.90 billion.
It was astonishing that in spite of population surge, poverty rate in Asia was declining. Within 1990 to 2015, the number of Asia’s poor dropped from 1.39 to 0.33 billion.
The Asian Development Bank wooed investors to come and put up investments in Asia.
In view of these challenges and leaps in Asia’s business process, ADB encouraged those present to do business in the region. ADB said it was improving its support on partner-businesses in the region.
What set this BOF apart from the other years’ was the focus on concerns like climate change, public-private partnership, and private sector operations.
Dr. Andreas Klippe, president and chief executive officer of KLIPPtv and Flood Control Asia raised a question during the fair’s plenary session. The fair explored timely issues such as climate change and private-public partnership.
The two-day fair culminated with the networking sessions among businessmen.
Businessmen took advantage of the opportunity to build stronger connection with each other.
Businessmen took advantage of the opportunity to build stronger connection with each other.
