SINGAPORE. Mar 2: The World Bank plans to drastically cut loans to Asian countries this year, now that the region is recovering from its economic crisis, the Bank's former top official in Asia said Thursday, reports AP.

Over the past two years, the World Bank has lent roughly USS 20 billion to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, said Jean Michel Severino, the’ Bank's former vice president for East Asia and the Pacific.

Severino said the level of lending for this fiscal year, which begins in July, would be around 4 billion dollars.

"Whether it will be a little more, or a little less, it's a bit

too early to say." he told a news conference. He said this amount is approximately what the World Bank was lending to the region before the crisis.

The very high level of lending is a big burden for (the World Bank's) own capital structure." Severino said.

He said the main cuts will be in the area of structural adjustments. which include budget support financing and balance of payment-related loans.

The main reason for the cuts is that many of the countries that suffered from the economic crisis in Asia arc healthier economically and will not be asking for structural adjustment funds this year, he said.