Clearing the decks

Asia’s many clearing zones have proved testing for corporate treasurers. As a result, a growing number of companies are outsourcing their cash management operations to the region’s banks, reports Lachlan Colquhoun

With its multiple currencies, disparate regulatory regimes, and clearing zones numbering in the thousands, Asia is one of the most difficult regions in which to implement an effective and centralised cash management operation. But in the current economic downturn, the speedy and efficient management of cashflows is proving ever more crucial to the liquidity of a company. In response, growing numbers of companies in Asia are choosing to outsource more and more of their cash management