Asia

INDIA - The systematic reform of India's pension system represents the "most ambitious" effort in the South Asian region to date, according to the World Bank.

JAPAN - Japan's Pension Fund Association (PFA) is preparing to sue Seibu Railway in a bid to seek compensation for losses incurred during 2004, when the rail group was thrown out of the Tokyo Stock Exchange for falsifying financial statements.

TAIWAN - With the Labour Pension Act (LPA) set to come into force in just four months, many multinationals have begun preparing for implementation ahead of forthcoming detail, a survey by Watson Wyatt has found.

ASIA - AXA Investment Managers (AXA IM) has appointed Anthony Fasso as Asia Pacific regional director.

ASIA - Standard Life Investments has appointed Michael Reed as the new chief executive of Standard Life Investments (Asia).

INDIA - The Ministry of Finance has proposed relaxing rules governing employer-sponsored pension fund investment.

KOREA - Korea has taken its first major step towards establishing a funded corporate pensions system with the new Employee Retirement Security Act (ERSA), which will allow employers the option of setting up either a defined benefit or defined contribution...

ASIA - Institutional investors in Asia expect another year of double-digit returns from local equity markets, according to new research from Greenwich Associates.

ASIA - While recent pension reforms in Asia have been significant, experts warn that legislative changes alone will not be sufficient to provide adequate retirement savings to 55% of the world's population who now live in Asia.

JAPAN - Threadneedle Investments has appointed Alex Kydd fund manager on its Japanese desk in a bid to strengthen its presence in the region.