M&A activity across Asia has been down on 2021’s bumper year, but there are pockets of resilience.

Kimberley Long explores how digital finance and mobile banking are addressing the financial access issues faced by women that incumbent banks cannot reach. 

SCB 10X, the venture investment arm of Siam Commercial Bank, is exploring the developments which could reshape how we do banking. Tai Panich, CEO and chief investment officer of SCB 10X, tells Kimberley Long about her plans. 

The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have delayed the implementation of Basel III in many markets, with push backs from some of the biggest economies. In Asia, as some jurisdictions move ahead, it risks creating an uneven banking sector that the rules sought to avoid. 

While state-owned banks are making the headlines in the country ranking, the city banks are leading the way in performance. 

Nepal’s banks appear resilient to the worst shocks of the pandemic, but there is discontent over a slow to change regulatory system, which is stifling growth.

Remittances from overseas workers comprise a significant portion of Nepal’s foreign currency reserves for this import-dependent country.

Maha Prasad Adhikari, governor of the central bank of Nepal, on the country’s current foreign exchange reserves crisis and the evolution of digital banking. 

The long shadow of Covid-19 is impacting China’s economy, as the country struggles to meet its ambitious growth targets.