Transport & Infrastructure
From The Report: Myanmar 2020
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Myanmar’s success in improving its transport infrastructure is clearly illustrated by developments in Yangon, the country’s commercial capital. Yangon International Airport, for instance, has undergone significant upgrades and now has an annual capacity of 20m passengers. Upgrades are also being made to the Yangon Circular Railway. Older buses that once contributed heavily to air pollution have mostly been replaced, and a modern bus service is in operation. The city is also served by 50,000 taxis and a catamaran water bus service. Ports are being modernised as well, with work on a 400-metre wharf near the Thilawa Special Economic Zone completed in December 2018. A new $290m container terminal on the Yangon River has received in-principle approval, and a deepwater port at Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State is in the pipeline as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Nevertheless, transport infrastructure in the countryside remains below standard. This chapter contains an interview with Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Making inroads: Infrastructure projects in the pipeline are aimed at improving national and regional connectivity
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The slow and steady improvement of transport infrastructure has been one of Myanmar’s less celebrated successes. Nothing illustrates this achievement better than Yangon, the country’s commercial capital. Yangon International Airport, for instance, has undergone significant upgrades and now has an annual capacity of 20m passengers. Upgrades are also being made to the Yangon Circular Railway. Older buses that once contributed heavily to air pollution have mostly been replaced, and a modern…

Interview

Driving development: Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on the role of development assistance in securing productivity and efficiency gains
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Interview:Shinichi Kitaoka How can Japanese official development assistance for infrastructure development contribute to productivity and efficiency gains for the economy? SHINICHI KITAOKA: Myanmar is geographically and strategically important in terms of connecting ASEAN to South Asia and helping to realise Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific initiative via its three infrastructure support priorities: electrification, urban development and transportation in Yangon. Reliable electricity…

Analysis

Port of call: Increased trade and freight movement is encouraging greater investment in maritime infrastructure
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Myanmar has a total of nine coastal ports and more than 400 inland river ports. Its location close to major shipping routes and some of the world’s emerging economic powers, combined with a growing openness to international trade, could see the country unlock much-needed investment in maritime infrastructure in the decade leading to 2030. High Potential Myanmar’s coastal ports are at Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, Pathein, Yangon, Mawlamyine, Dawei, Myeik and Kawthaung. Although the Myanma…

Analysis

Infrastructure drive: Road and rail upgrades are set to unlock economic development and provide opportunities for private investment
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In a bid to address an existing infrastructure deficit, Myanmar is ramping up activity in the transport sector, which is expected to encourage further economic development. In March 2019 State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Thailand’s Prime Minister PrayutChan-o-cha officially opened the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, two decades after the first one was built in 1997. The Thai-funded bridge in Myanmar’s east, which connects the city of Myawaddy with Thailand’s Mae Sot district…

Analysis

Growing greener: ASEAN green and sustainable bonds are on the rise
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The year 2019 marked the second anniversary of ASEAN’s inaugural bond issue under the organisation’s common Green Bond Standards (GBS) – a RM2bn ($480m) issue by the Malaysian government-controlled asset manager, Permodalan Nasional. Since then, the green bond market in Asia Pacific has won many accolades, with 2018 seeing the region record the second-highest volume of outstanding, climate-aligned bonds worldwide, according to a study by the London-based Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).…

Analysis

Growing greener: ASEAN green and sustainable bonds are on the rise
OBG
plus

The year 2019 marked the second anniversary of ASEAN’s inaugural bond issue under the organisation’s common Green Bond Standards (GBS) – a RM2bn ($480m) issue by the Malaysian government-controlled asset manager, Permodalan Nasional. Since then, the green bond market in Asia Pacific has won many accolades, with 2018 seeing the region record the second-highest volume of outstanding, climate-aligned bonds worldwide, according to a study by the London-based Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI).…

Overview

Skybound: Rapid expansion of global aviation industry propels investment
OBG
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The aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth worldwide, propelled by booming tourism industries, lower air fares and the push for greater connectivity in an increasingly globalised economy. Middle-class expansion has also spurred growth in air travel, as more people are able to afford flights for holidays or business-related travel. According to Boeing, commercial airlines experienced annual average passenger growth of 6.2% between 2012 and 2017. The manufacturer also estimated that by 2036 an additional 41,000 plane deliveries will need to be fulfilled in order to meet service needs for both passengers and cargo. To accommodate these…

Overview

Skybound: Rapid expansion of global aviation industry propels investment
OBG
plus

The aviation sector is experiencing rapid growth worldwide, propelled by booming tourism industries, lower air fares and the push for greater connectivity in an increasingly globalised economy. Middle-class expansion has also spurred growth in air travel, as more people are able to afford flights for holidays or business-related travel. According to Boeing, commercial airlines experienced annual average passenger growth of 6.2% between 2012 and 2017. The manufacturer also estimated that by 2036 an additional 41,000 plane deliveries will need to be fulfilled in order to meet service needs for both passengers and cargo. To accommodate these…