Latest news with #Kanda
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
ADB chief supports Timor-Leste's Asean bid, pledges stronger development ties
JAKARTA: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has welcomed Timor-Leste's upcoming accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). ADB president Masato Kanda (pic) said this during his first official visit to the country, and also pledged to expand development support to the island nation, which gained independence from Indonesia in 2002. Over a four-day visit that ended Monday (July 21), he met President Jose Ramos-Horta and acting Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino, commending the country's progress towards Asean membership. "Timor-Leste's journey from independence to Asean membership is a story of resilience and vision. ADB is proud to stand with the people and Government of Timor-Leste at this historic moment,' Kanda said in a statement. He also met Finance Minister Santina Cardoso and other senior officials, reaffirming ADB's commitment to support Timor-Leste's priorities through deeper cooperation in infrastructure, private sector development, youth empowerment and improved livelihoods. According to ADB, Kanda's visit, which was the first by an ADB president to a member classified as both fragile and a small island developing state, underscored the bank's commitment to its most vulnerable members. He visited the Coffee and Agroforestry Livelihood Improvement Project (CALIP), supported by ADB and Japan, that assists 2,000 farming families in a sector involving 38 per cent of Timorese households and which plays a vital role in diversifying the country's economy. Kanda also toured the expansion site of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, a project supported by ADB, Australia and Japan, which is expected to more than double annual passenger capacity to over 400,000 by 2030 and meet Asean infrastructure standards. Timor-Leste, with a population of around 1.4 million, applied for Asean membership in 2011, gained observer status in 2022, and is progressing towards full integration into the regional bloc. ADB is a development bank founded in 1966 that supports inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia-Pacific and has 69 members, including Malaysia. - Bernama, Timor-Leste, member, Masato Kanda, visit
Barnama
a day ago
- Business
- Barnama
ADB Chief Supports Timor-Leste's ASEAN Bid, Pledges Stronger Development Ties
By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar JAKARTA, July 23 (Bernama) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has welcomed Timor-Leste's upcoming accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ADB president Masato Kanda said this during his first official visit to the country, and also pledged to expand development support to the island nation, which gained independence from Indonesia in 2002. bootstrap slideshow Over a four-day visit that ended Monday, he met President José Ramos-Horta and acting Prime Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino, commending the country's progress towards ASEAN membership. 'Timor-Leste's journey from independence to ASEAN membership is a story of resilience and vision. ADB is proud to stand with the people and Government of Timor-Leste at this historic moment,' Kanda said in a statement. He also met Finance Minister Santina Cardoso and other senior officials, reaffirming ADB's commitment to support Timor-Leste's priorities through deeper cooperation in infrastructure, private sector development, youth empowerment and improved livelihoods. According to ADB, Kanda's visit, which was the first by an ADB president to a member classified as both fragile and a small island developing state, underscored the bank's commitment to its most vulnerable members. He visited the Coffee and Agroforestry Livelihood Improvement Project (CALIP), supported by ADB and Japan, that assists 2,000 farming families in a sector involving 38 per cent of Timorese households and which plays a vital role in diversifying the country's economy. Kanda also toured the expansion site of Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, a project supported by ADB, Australia and Japan, which is expected to more than double annual passenger capacity to over 400,000 by 2030 and meet ASEAN infrastructure standards.
HKFP
01-07-2025
- Business
- HKFP
ADB acting on US concerns over China, bank chief says
The Asian Development Bank was trying 'very hard' to accommodate US concerns over lending to China, the bank's president told AFP, including by slashing loans to the world's second-largest economy. Global development institutions are in Spain this week for a UN summit on financial aid for the world's poorest overshadowed by Washington's gutting of poverty and climate change programs. The United States is a major donor to multilateral banks like the ABD, but Washington's future commitment to development lenders has been in doubt since the election of President Donald Trump. In April, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged ADB President Masato Kanda 'to take concrete steps' to end loans to rival China. Kanda said lending to Beijing was 'radically decreasing' and had already halved from $2 billion in 2020 to $1 billion in 2024. 'We are already on… a declining trajectory,' the Japanese head of the Manila-based lender told AFP in an interview in Paris on Friday. 'Probably — I can't promise — but probably this declining trajectory will be continued, and someday may be zero,' he added, stressing that such a decision would ultimately be decided by the bank's shareholders and board of directors. Kanda said US demands that ADB curtail financing for China were hardly new and probably 'one of the very few agendas across the aisle in the US Congress'. 'Even under the Biden administration, it was the same request,' Kanda said, referring to the last administration under President Joe Biden. The United States and Japan are the largest shareholders of ADB, which helps bankroll projects in the Asia-Pacific region that lift living standards and promote economic growth. China, India and Australia are also significant members. 'Universal' challenge Kanda said ADB's efforts to raise lending without asking more of taxpayers in donor countries 'was very much appreciated by the United States and others'. 'I try very hard to accommodate the issues of the United States,' he said. Kanda is among thousands this week attending the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, the biggest event in a decade on the crisis-hit aid sector. The United States in snubbing the UN-sponsored conference, underlining the erosion of global cooperation on combating hunger, disease and climate change. Trump's cuts have come under particular scrutiny but Germany, Britain and France have also slashed foreign aid while boosting spending in areas such as defence. With budgets in doubt, multilateral development banks have come under particular pressure to step up financing for projects that tackle global warming and prepare poorer countries for climate disaster. Last year, rich countries committed $300 billion annually by 2035 for climate finance in the developing world — well short of the $1.3 trillion that experts say is needed. Last year, the ADB committed to channelling half its annual lending to climate-related projects by 2030 and Kanda said it was likely this would grow in time. The bank was navigating a level of global uncertainty not seen in many decades but it was critical to consider the most vulnerable on the rocky road ahead, he added. 'This is not just a short-term phenomenon of one country, but it is rather universal,' he said. 'This is a really difficult situation. And as long as we don't improve the root cause of this situation — for instance, a more fair society — it will not be so easy.'
ITV News
01-07-2025
- ITV News
'This is for my son': Knife crime campaigner Pooja Kanda given OBE in King's Birthday honours
Pooja Kanda has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) following her tireless campaign for changes in the law after her 16-year-old son Ronan was murdered with a ninja sword yards away from his Wolverhampton home. Ms Kanda said she was "grateful" and "overwhelmed" by the honour following the death of her son in June 2022. The 48-year-old said: 'The day I heard about the OBE, I held his picture. I shed tears. "I know that the OBE is in my name, but this is for my son. "I'm only here because of who he was. He was such a kind, loving, caring, not a son, not a brother, a human being, a person who everyone loved." Ms Kanda said she was driven to campaign after witnessing the trial of her son's killers, who attacked the 16-year-old in a case of mistaken identity. They had been able to buy knives without identity checks. "During that court case, the revelation each day was: how is this possible?" Ms Kanda said. "How? How on earth are these types of weapons still available? "No wonder my son didn't stand a chance." Ms Kanda and her family began the Justice For Ronan Kanda campaign after his death and have since advocated for changes in the law around the sale of knives. She said one of Ronan's killers had been able to get weapons online "as easily as getting bread and milk". The Kanda family's campaigning has already achieved one of its goals – the passing of Ronan's Law which will make it illegal to own, sell, make or import ninja swords in the UK from August 1. Pat McFadden, MP for Wolverhampton South East, Ronan's constituency, thanked Ms Kanda and her family for their efforts when the law was approved in Parliament on April 30. But for Ms Kanda, there is still "so much to do". "This is just one fight for me," she said. "There were many failures that I endured, and many failures need to be turned into learnings."
Int'l Business Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
ADB Acting On US Concerns Over China, Bank Chief Tells AFP
The Asian Development Bank was trying "very hard" to accommodate US concerns over lending to China, the bank's president told AFP, including by slashing loans to the world's second-largest economy. Global development institutions are in Spain this week for a UN summit on financial aid for the world's poorest overshadowed by Washington's gutting of poverty and climate change programs. The United States is a major donor to multilateral banks like the ABD, but Washington's future commitment to development lenders has been in doubt since the election of President Donald Trump. In April, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged ADB President Masato Kanda "to take concrete steps" to end loans to rival China. Kanda said lending to Beijing was "radically decreasing" and had already halved from $2 billion in 2020 to $1 billion in 2024. "We are already on... a declining trajectory," the Japanese head of the Manila-based lender told AFP in an interview in Paris on Friday. "Probably -- I can't promise -- but probably this declining trajectory will be continued, and someday may be zero," he added, stressing that such a decision would ultimately be decided by the bank's shareholders and board of directors. Kanda said US demands that ADB curtail financing for China were hardly new and probably "one of the very few agendas across the aisle in the US Congress". "Even under the Biden administration, it was the same request," Kanda said, referring to the last administration under President Joe Biden. The United States and Japan are the largest shareholders of ADB, which helps bankroll projects in the Asia-Pacific region that lift living standards and promote economic growth. China, India and Australia are also significant members. Kanda said ADB's efforts to raise lending without asking more of taxpayers in donor countries "was very much appreciated by the United States and others". "I try very hard to accommodate the issues of the United States," he said. Kanda is among thousands this week attending the International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, the biggest event in a decade on the crisis-hit aid sector. The United States in snubbing the UN-sponsored conference, underlining the erosion of global cooperation on combating hunger, disease and climate change. Trump's cuts have come under particular scrutiny but Germany, Britain and France have also slashed foreign aid while boosting spending in areas such as defence. With budgets in doubt, multilateral development banks have come under particular pressure to step up financing for projects that tackle global warming and prepare poorer countries for climate disaster. Last year, rich countries committed $300 billion annually by 2035 for climate finance in the developing world -- well short of the $1.3 trillion that experts say is needed. Last year, the ADB committed to channelling half its annual lending to climate-related projects by 2030 and Kanda said it was likely this would grow in time. The bank was navigating a level of global uncertainty not seen in many decades but it was critical to consider the most vulnerable on the rocky road ahead, he added. "This is not just a short-term phenomenon of one country, but it is rather universal," he said. "This is a really difficult situation. And as long as we don't improve the root cause of this situation -- for instance, a more fair society -- it will not be so easy."
