MSME financing in Asia Pacific and coping with Covid-19 at the Bank of Korea

Thursday 5 August 2021 – Vol.12 Ed.31.4
Commentary: New approach to MSME financing in Asia Pacific
By Tamara Singh in Singapore
Covid-19 has provided an opportunity to recalibrate how micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises in Asia Pacific are financed. Taking inspiration from Zen Buddhism, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific have published a report that puts forward the concept of a ‘digital enso’. This approach to financing will increase financial access for many MSMEs in the region and open the door to new digital solutions.
Read the full commentary on the website.
Podcast: How the Bank of Korea got through Covid-19

Seok Jun Yang, director general for reserves management at the Bank of Korea, speaks to OMFIF’s Pierre Ortlieb on macro and market developments over the course of the Covid-19 shock. They discuss how the Bank of Korea managed its reserves in response to the market turmoil of spring 2020, the global fiscal and monetary policy response to the pandemic and how to strengthen the global financial safety net for future crises.
Listen here.