After years of neglect, Indonesia is significantly improving its infrastructure to spur economic growth and attract foreign investment. The country’s competitiveness increased by two places to 45th in 2018 (out of 140 countries) according to the Global Competitiveness Index 2018 report. In line with the government’s constant efforts to improve the country’s competitiveness, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the country increased from $24,565 million in 2012 to $28,964 million in 2016.
That said, in this issue Southeast Asia Infrastructure attempts to cover how Indonesia is constantly trying to chart out its growth path in its focus story “High on Growth”.
Besides, the oil and gas sector is quite significant to the Indonesian economy in terms of revenue contribution. Our story “Picking Up Pace” talks about how the recent award of oil and gas blocks will boost production in the country.
In recent years, Southeast Asian countries have laid increased emphasis on the construction of expressways and bridges. Our story “Enhancing Connectivity” looks at some of the major upcoming expressway and bridge projects in the region.
Meanwhile, commissioning of the Van Don International Airport has added another milestone to Vietnam’s aviation sector. The story “Flying High” takes a look at the key features of the airport, scope of the project, financing arrangement and the key challenges encountered.
The water scarcity issue has compounded in the past few years. Our story “New Options” discusses the prospects and the potential for desalination as a sustainable alternative for ASEAN’s clean water supply.
Vietnam is one of the few Southeast Asian countries that is expected to launch its 5G services in line with the global timeline of 2020.
Myanmar is one of the lowest-income countries among the Southeast Asian nations. The country is facing a slowdown in foreign investments caused by ongoing concerns about political instability, weak macroeconomics, investment restrictions and uncertain investment approval procedures. The story “Boosting Investments” throws light on the Myanmar Investment Promotion Plan, which outlines various strategies to boost economic growth.