Recent Trends in Co-operative Legislation in Asia-Pacific

Abstract

Co-operative Legislation in Asia-Pacific has been an important area of concern for the cooperative movement. Early cooperative laws, particularly those enacted during first half of the 20th century were formulated by the then colonial governments to control cooperative membership and leadership through legislation. Even in latter part of the 20th century when a number of countries attained independence, tendency of most of the Governments continued to exercise control on and interfere with management of cooperatives. Such tendency has adversely affected the growth of member based and member controlled self-reliant cooperatives.