U.S., Singapore Asked to Share Aid Burden:...

U.S., Singapore Asked to Share Aid Burden: Japan urged the two nations in particular to contribute their share of cash for “soft loans” to Asia’s poorest countries. Japanese Finance Minister Masayoshi Takemura said at the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting that Tokyo is ready to step up its contribution to the bank’s soft loan fund. The United States has yet to provide the full amount of funds pledged. Singapore has said it will continue to offer technical training assistance but ruled out cash. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka were the main countries to benefit last year from the $1.2 billion in soft, or interest-free, loans approved by the Asian bank. Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea have been targeted as new donors.