Advances in blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are gaining significant attention across the development sector, but they may open new avenues for integrity risks and corruption. SDCC and OAI are promoting a balance between the hype and the future potential of these solutions versus the risks of corruption. ADB's Chief of Digital Technology for Development, Mr. Thomas Abell, presented on significant integrity risks associated with blockchains and cryptocurrencies that are often overlooked in development programs.

If an effective reform program were to successfully navigate the road from “current equilibrium” to the “desired equilibrium,” it may have to address four questions at the onset. The questions follow a cyclical process that starts with the identification of internal champions and grows wider to capture technocrats and key supporters in government, and the much wider realm of the private sector. This presentation features ADB’s anti-money laundering technical assistance project in Mongolia as a case example.

This presentation examines whether ADB is able to influence policies by providing loans. An ideal case scenario is presented.

Imagine a future where all countries in the Asia-Pacific region are self-sufficient in domestic resource mobilization and do not require loans from international financial institutions; and where the integrity and transparency levels of tax officials are high that they flow onto other agencies and to the government itself. This presentation discusses the best investment practices in ICT in tax administrations to assist ADB developing member countries in mobilizing sufficient domestic resources to meet sustainable development goals.