Masahiro Kawai Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute 15 September 2010, New Delhi Sustainable Growth and Enhancing Integration in Asia A Joint

Masahiro Kawai

Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute 15 September 2010, New Delhi

Sustainable Growth and Enhancing Integration in Asia

A Joint Conference of ADBI and RIS on

The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADBI does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this paper and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. Terminology used may not necessarily be consistent with ADB official terms.

ADBI-RIS Joint Conference on Sustainable Growth and Enhancing Integration in Asia

15 September, New Delhi

• The book was published in September 2009

• It received strong attention from senior policymakers and media in Asia and beyond

• APEC Financial Minister Statement for Singapore Summit quoted estimates on infrastructure needs

• 50,000 downloads in first month after website posting

• ASEAN economies have decided to create an ASEAN Infrastructure Fund similar to Asian Infrastructure Fund proposed in the book

• Translated into Chinese and Japanese



Outline

• Need for Infrastructure

• Objectives

• Definition, Scope, Coverage, and Vision

• Infrastructure Financing Requirements 2010–2020

• Meeting Financing Needs

• Key Messages

• Conclusion



Need for InfrastructureThe recent global crisis provides 5 reasons for increasing infrastructure investment in Asia:

I. Enhances competitiveness, productivity, and economic recovery, and helps to sustain medium to long term growth

II. Helps to increase standards of living and reduce poverty by connecting isolated places and people with major economic centers

III. Promotes environmental sustainability through proper designingIV. Forms an important part of fiscal stimulus packages, especially

if the global economy has a double-dip V. Helps to increase regional demand and intraregional trade for

rebalancing Asia’s growth



Objectives• Summarizes the key issues and challenges in

strengthening cross-border connectivity in Asia

• Examines benefits and costs of regional infrastructure

• Estimates the financing requirements for developing Asia’s infrastructure

• Provides recommendations for effective programs, policies, and institutions for regional infrastructure

• Presents a framework for pan-Asian infrastructure cooperation toward a seamless Asia



Scope and Coverage• Issues and challenges for regional infrastructure

in Asia up to 2020

• ADB’s 44 DMCs

• Broad pan-Asian initiatives and sector-specific subregional efforts—transport, energy, telecoms

• Focus on “soft” infrastructure—policy, regulatory, governance, trade facilitation, and institutional frameworks—to support development and operation of “hard”, or physical, infrastructure components and to facilitate regional trade



Definition: Regional Infrastructure Projects

• Cross-border (or transnational) projects that involve “hard” and “soft” infrastructure spanning two or more neighboring countries

• National projects that have a significant cross-border impact in stimulating regional trade and income or in connecting with the network of neighboring or third countries



Long-Term Vision: A Seamless Asia

• Creation of a Seamless Asia—an integrated region connected by world-class, environment-friendly infrastructure networks

• In view of Asia's enormous untapped economic potential and the global financial crisis, now is the time to build efficient and seamless connections across Asia and with the rest of the world for a more competitive, prosperous, and integrated region



Financing Needs for Asia’s National Infrastructure by Sector: 2010-2020



Indicative Investment Needs for Regional Identified and Pipeline Infrastructure Projects: 2010-2020



Meeting the Financing Needs• On average, Asia needs to invest about US$750

billion per year in infrastructure (both national and regional) during 2010-2020

• The region’s vast domestic savings can serve as the main source of financing for Asia’s infrastructure

• Strengthen national and regional local currency bond markets—notably the ASEAN+3 Bond Markets Initiative and the Asian Bond Funds

• Identify and prepare “bankable” projects to encourage private financing and participation involving public-private partnerships (PPPs)



Key Messages

1) During 2010–2020, Asia needs to invest about US$8 trillion in national infrastructure and US$290 billion in specific regional infrastructure projects—an overall average infrastructure investment of about $750 billion per year

2) The required infrastructure investment would produce substantial real income gains of about US$13 trillion for developing Asia during the same period and beyond

3) A “Pan-Asian Infrastructure Forum (PAIF)” should be established to help coordinate and integrate existing subregional infrastructure initiatives toward the Seamless Asia vision

4) An “Asian Infrastructure Fund (AIF)” is needed to mobilize international funds (public and private) and help prioritize, prepare, and finance “bankable” regional infrastructure projects

This is the first time that such a study on regional infrastructure has been undertaken.



A Framework for Pan-Asian Infrastructure Cooperation



Conclusion

A Framework for Pan-Asian Infrastructure Cooperation Requires:

• A common vision, strong leadership, and a shared commitment by Asian leaders

• Strong institutional capacities at the national level

• Coherent infrastructure development at the national, subregional, and regional levels

• Pan-Asian infrastructure strategies to prioritize investments and coordinate policies



Conclusion (cont’d)• Effective planning and implementation of projects to

ensure “win-win” outcomes among participating countries by:

– Addressing the issue of asymmetric distribution of projects’ costs and benefits

– Managing negative socioeconomic impacts

• Effective financing framework to help mobilize the region’s vast savings and encourage PPPs

• Asian economies, together with international and regional development partners (e.g. ADB, WB, and UNESCAP), bilateral organizations (e.g. from Japan, Korea, Singapore, PRC and India) can work together to achieve a Seamless Asia

Documents

Masahiro Kawai Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute 15 September 2010, New Delhi Sustainable Growth and Enhancing Integration in Asia A Joint