Plan for ADB to play vastly bigger role in Asian development

Tokyo

A GREATLY expanded role for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which would see the Manila-based institution shift from its current core mission of poverty reduction to a much-wider role in helping Asia's middle-income countries to manage their economic development was proposed in a report published on Monday.

The vision sees the ADB expanding its financial and knowledge-sharing functions to include provision of regional infrastructure networks, sustainable development strategies, reform of state…