Sustainable Housing Finance for the South Asia Region

Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Time: 8.30 – 10.00 AM (EST)

Presently, South Asia Region (SAR) faces a rapidly growing demand for a more effective housing finance system and has undertaken major steps to develop a more vibrant and affordable housing sector. Despite much progress, the housing finance market in the region still remains largely underdeveloped and disconnected from the main financial system. Over the last several years, the Finance and Private Sector Development South Asia unit (SASFP) has been involved in housing finance activities mainly at the policy-level, providing strategic advice for the housing finance sector reform based on findings and recommendations of country-based comprehensive analytical studies.

With the most recent work on Afghanistan completed, housing finance studies in five countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – which look into the current state of the housing finance market, identify the demand and supply constraints as well as legal and regulatory impediments to further development and make recommendations for developing a vibrant sector, are now available.

Afghanistan - Housing Finance: Challenges and Opportunities
Bangladesh - Housing Finance Reforms in Bangladesh: Unleashing Supply to Meet Growing Demand
India - Expanding the Housing Finance Market to Cover Lower Middle Income Segments in India
Pakistan - Housing Finance Reforms in Pakistan: Strategy for Strengthening the Real Estate Development Process
Sri Lanka - Housing Finance in Sri Lanka: Opportunities and Challenges

The session will be opened by Ejaz Syed Ghani (Economic Advisor, South Asia Region) who will explain the purpose of South Asia Regional Cooperation Dialogue. Loic Chiquier (Lead Financial Officer, World Bank) will give the opening remarks, touching on the main challenges and issues for countries in South Asia to further develop the housing finance market.

Two keynote remarks will be delivered by Dr. Zaigham Rizvi and (Special Advisor to the State Bank of Pakistan on housing issues) and Mr. Narayanasamy Kokularupan (Ex-CEO, Cagamas Berhad, Malaysia). Dr. Rizvi will highlight the importance of housing finance to the overall financial structure and the economic development of the countries in South Asia and Mr. Kokularupan will speak of Malaysia’s experience on housing finance reforms. A discussion will follow among the panel of distinguished leaders of the major housing finance banks in the region with Mr. Olivier Hassler and Ms. Tatiana Nenova moderating the discussion.

The discussion will revolve around the following questions:

1. What are the main challenges and issues for countries in South Asia to further develop their housing finance markets and how can these be overcome?
2. What are some of the key reform measures that need to be implemented to create an efficient state housing bank and opportunities for cross-regional sharing of experiences on this from East Asia?
3. What are the conditions for establishing an efficient primary and secondary housing finance market system?
4. What role can the multilaterals, in particular, the World Bank Group play to foster housing finance market at the regional level?
5. What would be issues most pertinent at a regional level to be addressed under a regional housing finance study?

The event can also be accessed through live webcast:

http://vcg01.worldbank.org/vc/ then click on 'Live Conferences'

Please contact Juan Blazquez for more information about this GDLN event.

Minutes of the Meeting and Presentations

- Minutes of the Meeting

- Key Lessons from the Malaysian Experience on Housing Finance

- Presentation by Advisor to State Bank of Pakistan on Housing & Infrastructure

- Housing Finance in Sri Lanka - Opportunities & challenges

Additional Resources

- South Asia: Growth & Regional Integration
South Asia is the least integrated region in the world. Closer integration can be an effective tool in addressing energy shortage, improve connectivity, and promote peace and stability. (Read More »)

- South Asia: Development Data
A wide range of social and economic measures on South Asia, including links to the World Bank's most important online development databases. (Read More »)

- South Asia: Analysis and Research
Compilation of all the World Bank's publications on South Asia, with 'search' options and links to analysis and research on other South Asian countries. (Read More »)

- World Bank Program in South Asia
Launching pad to all information on World Bank activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.(Read More »)