Developing bond markets in the Asia-Pacific: moving forward through public-private sector partnership: the conference Chair, Dr Jeffrey L.S. Koo, sincerely thanks on behalf of the organisers all the participants and sponsors of the Joint Conference held by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and the Pacific Economic Co-operation Council (PECC) in Taipei on May 10-11, 2004.

• Author: Koo, Jeffrey L.S.
• Position: NEWS

Since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, bond market development has been widely seen as a way to ensure access to long-term funds in local currencies promote economic growth and avoid the maturity and currency mismatches that caused the crisis.

Various measures to develop markets and to strengthen regional financial arrangements are underway. The Asian Bond Market Initiative is one step in the process of deepening regional arrangements, but much more remains to be done.

The conference on Developing Bond Markets jointly organised by ABAC and PECC brought together 145 experts and market players actively involved in the region's bond markets. Participants affirmed the private sector's keen interest in the deepening of the Asia-Pacific's domestic bond markets and in developing the infrastructure that would ultimately support a regional bond market. They proposed the following to achieve these goals:

1. To develop and strengthen domestic bond markets:

   * Effectively co-ordinate relevant...