ADB report poses $26tn question for Asia
Back in 2009, the Asian Development Bank estimated the region would need $8 trillion worth of infrastructure investment between 2010 and 2020. Now, for the 15 years from 2016 to 2030, the bank reckons $26 trillion is in order to sustain current levels of growth. Where is the cash going to come from? The bank’s new report on “Meeting Asia’s Infrastructure Needs” says the region’s to-do list includes building electricity networks to deliver power to the more than 400 million people who still live without it. All told, infrastructure investment in Asia currently meets only about half the demand. The report calls on regional economies to provide financing through fiscal measures and to make use of private-sector money.
