This title is part of an initiative by the World Bank to develop standard indicators to measure the performance and soundness of the financial sector in the South Asia region and help pinpoint where performance is strong and where improvements are most needed. Phases I, II, and III, completed with active support and assistance from regulatory authorities in South Asia, compiled a standard set of finance indicators for five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. This first formally published volume encompasses Phase IV of the study, which updates all indicators under the...

The financial sectors in South Asia Region (SAR) are dominated by commercial banks, which account for the vast majority of the financial system s assets. The domestic debt markets including the government bond and corporate bond markets are at an early stage of development and there are few institutional investors. In recent years, countries in SAR have attempted to develop local debt markets, although the pace of development remains uneven and slow due to many regulatory and institutional impediments. With the notable exception of India, governments in SAR have yet to implement measures...

Utilizing standardized indicators from 2001 to 2008, 'Getting Finance in South Asia 2010' analyzes the financial performance and soundness of commercial banks in eight South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. While the indicators cannot predict the onset of a financial crisis, their analysis has identified specific weaknesses in regional financial sectors that should be addressed by the supervisory authorities. In this current edition of the annual 'Getting Finance' publication, two new development dimensions -- payment systems...