Supplying Asia's growing middle classes and industries with energy is a headache for governments throughout the region. However, given that 55% of the world's new residential construction from now until 2025 will occur in China and south Asia, designing smart, energy-efficient buildings will go a long way to solving this problem.

The rise of pan-European banking groups makes supervision at a European level appropriate. But crises still start locally, and local supervisors must retain adequate powers to act independently.

An ageing population and shrinking labour pool have put a strain on Singapore's economy, leading to calls for it to be restructured to raise productivity and bring about price stability. This will come through more productivity-led growth and a stronger focus on macroprudential policies.

The recently appointed National Bank of Kazakhstan governor, Kairat Kelimbetov, tells Philip Alexander that he is focused on stepping up the quality of corporate governance in the country's banking sector and financial markets.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's managing director for the southern and eastern Mediterranean region, Hildegard Gacek, explains how expertise and past experience are now enabling the EBRD to assist Egypt, Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia through a period of great economic and political change.

With Janet Yellen set to assume the position of head of the US Federal Reserve, her defining challenge will be tapering the Fed’s huge quantitative easing programme. Jane Monahan looks for clues as to her likely stance.

The Philippines has enjoyed a lot of success in growing its microfinance market and pursuing financial inclusion. Moreover, widening the banking base has arguably had a positive effect on the country's overall financial stability.

Bank of Korea governor Choongsoo Kim tells Jane Cooper how he aims to bridge the gap at international meetings between emerging and developed economies, and how he plans to globalise South Korea’s central bank. 

Colombia's finance minister, Mauricio Cardenas, tells The Banker about the country’s adoption of a new taxation regime aimed at addressing inequality, and why he believes other Latin American countries should be doing the same. 

The Banker’s Finance Minister of the Year for Europe 2013 won his award thanks to a successful and determined fiscal adjustment programme. He explains how moving early is now allowing Latvia to look beyond austerity.