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Kavita Iyengar Senior Country Economist, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Kavita Iyengar is a senior country economist at the Southeast Asia Department. Previously, she was country economist at ADB’s Timor-Leste Resident Mission and focal for regional cooperation and knowledge management at the India Resident Mission. Her varied work experience includes teaching, environment consulting, and publishing. She has a PhD from Clark University in the United States.
The 2024 ProFIT Survey highlights the need to simplify business registration, expand SME financing, and align skills training with market demand.
Gender data on education, health, and other sectors can guide policy interventions that aim to help reduce the gender gap.
Develop and implement a comprehensive, evidence-based national MSME development strategy.
Boosting agricultural productivity through technology, training, and better farmer access to markets will enhance food stability.
Initiatives should start by focusing on building awareness on the importance of oceans and coastal habitat.
Experience from other countries shows online business registries are transparent and easy to use, encouraging enterprises to formalize their business.
Increasing private sector participation in training can help build employer confidence and prepare graduates for the job market.
Building roads for socioeconomic development depends on an efficient O&M system that considers the difficult topology and fiscal issues.
A coordinated policy approach toward improving market efficiency, education outcomes, and infrastructure will enable the highest possible growth.
The pandemic is an opportunity for the country to push for longer-term structural reforms.