Ifzal Ali Quotations

We are seeing a huge increase in all import bills. Some of them are beginning to feel pressure on the external balance of payments. Fiscal strains in India, Indonesia, Bangladesh are particularly huge.

We are already witnessing major strains in many of our developing countries,

Just look at the organized sector of the economy in a country such as India, which employs less than 10 percent of workforce, you are worrying about this when there is a multitude of people completely being bypassed.

I think this is an issue that should not be politicized but has to be addressed with clinical objectivity.

We will have to revise our projections downwards if oil prices remain at 70 dollars a barrel.

We see more affluent youth going in for consumption, which is something that's very new for this part of the world.

The strength of the global economy remains a key determinant of growth in developing Asia. The major industrial economies are expected to grow close to potential and global trade will remain firm this year.

Rapid poverty reduction requires not only high rates of economic growth but also that the benefits of this growth be distributed more equitably.

Strengthening the inclusiveness of the growth process is a precondition to sustaining high growth rates.

Asian governments are making significant progress in the fight against poverty.

Asia needs to make sure its demographic dividend doesn't turn out to be its biggest problem. All those people arriving at urban train stations could be a big plus or a big minus.

Asia is cruising at a fairly fast clip but there are certain clouds on the horizon.

This is a change of historic proportions that will pose huge development challenges. You saw what happened with one flood in Bombay last year -- we could see similar and growing risks across Asia.

Despite all of this, we continue to be cautiously optimistic on developing Asia.

Strong economic growth alone won't solve the problem.

In India, for example, we could step back from 7-8 per cent growth to 3-4 per cent growth very easily within five to six years if unemployment and underemployment is not addressed.

In Asia, for a long time we have been in denial about the sustainability of high oil prices. There is tremendous potential for Asia to improve efficiency.

In order for rapid population growth to matter, a nation must steadily create good, decent- paying jobs to benefit from it.

Governments must invest, plan and safeguard against things like that. At the same time, this region needs to increase the number of good jobs and education to prepare for fast-growing populations in cities.

The healthy expansion is expected to continue drawing on strong internal dynamics, particularly, growth in the PRC and structural improvements in South Asia.