SDTC-GOV is organizing the 2021 ADB Governance Forum, with the theme "Governance pathways toward building a post-pandemic resilient economy", on 25 to 26 October 2021.

The event will have multiple sessions to discuss the four governance thematic areas, which are aligned with ADB’s Strategy 2030 Operational Priority 6 (Strengthening Governance and Institutional Capacity). You may register to the following sessions:

1. Quality infrastructure governance;
2. State-owned enterprises (SOE) reforms;
3. Domestic resource mobilization (DRM); and
4. Multi-level governments and localizing SDGs.

The objectives of the Governance Forum are:

• to introduce each of the four governance themes and expound on their individual intrinsic value to COVID-19 relief, recovery and adaptation efforts; and,
• to consider how ADB can support its developing member countries (DMCs) to develop or re-orient their governance pathways towards a pandemic resilient economy, within the context of the four thematic areas.

Specific Session Objectives

Objective of Session 1 (Quality Infrastructure Governance): The objective of this session is to contribute to a wider dialogue on practical issues to support QII in Developing Asia, and to ensure the implementation of the QII Principles. It begins with an introduction to the ADB Special Report on Supporting Quality Infrastructure in Developing Asia.  This will be followed by a panel discussion of the key issues and challenges raised in the ADB Special Report, including institutional practices of multilateral development banks (MDBs) to improve project preparation and incentivize private investment in infrastructure at the national and sub-national levels, on a basis that is fiscally sound, affordable for users, and economically, socially, and financially sustainable. The panelists will also address the importance of mitigating, allocating, and managing climatic risks; the use of new technologies to improve both the management of infrastructure assets and the delivery of resilient infrastructure services; and capacity building in developing countries so as to integrate strategic investment planning into medium-term fiscal framework.

Objective of Session 2 (SOE Reforms): SOE continue to play a crucial role in providing power, water, transport, finance, and other goods and services across Asia and the Pacific. Many of these SOE have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or have been asked to bailout the private sector through fee waivers and other mechanisms. In some cases, governments have created new SOE, or expanded their equity holdings in existing SOE. In other cases, private sector creditors have had to take losses when SOE defaulted. This session will explore what SOE reforms strategies can help governments manage the fiscal, financial and service delivery impact of the global pandemic. 

Objective of Session 3 (DRM): Compliance Risk Management (CRM) is a systematic approach to enable revenue authorities to maximize internal resources and to achieve cost effective administration. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected tax revenue collections as a result of the economic slowdown and individual taxpayers’ compliance, due to extended deadlines of tax filing and payment, as well as the incapacity of tax bodies to maintain tax enforcement. As tax administration resources are even more restricted in the midst of the pandemic, new challenges in its application have emerged from the pandemic, and CRM is taking a more crucial role in securing revenue collections and restoring taxpayer compliance. Employing information and communication technology will also make tax administration more efficient and transparent and would supplement the effective implementation of CRM. The objective of this session is to explore how revenue authorities reinforce CRM to safeguard tax revenue collection and tax compliance, to share the experiences that ADB has obtained through its support to DMCs towards developing CRM, and to discuss how CRM can be re-established and achieved, including through the use of digital technologies, in the aftermath of COVID-19. 

Objective of Session 4 (Multi-level Governance and Localization of SDGs): Achieving the SDGs depends on progress made at the local level. The OECD estimates that at least 105 of the 169 SDGs targets will not be reached without proper engagement and coordination with local and regional governments. Over the last year, the COVID-19 has caused multidimensional crisis on economy, employment, and public services throughout the world. This pandemic has served to highlight the importance of strengthening service delivery focusing on efficiency, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. SNGs have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 and played a key role in responding to the critical needs and providing basic services to their citizens. This session will explore transformative actions in multi-level governance system to accelerate the implementation of SDGs. It will also highlight some of the initiatives ADB’s Governance Thematic Group has been undertaking to support the localization of SDGs.