Nay Pyi Taw, July 24, 2013 - The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia ( ERIA ) held the last event of the series of Capacity Building Seminar on Public Private Partnership (PPP) for CLM countries in Myanmar today with 70 officials from various ministries and private sector attending the event.

With ongoing economic reform, Myanmar needs to team up with private sector to promote infrastructural development in the country. For the past 60 years, Myanmar's development depended solely on state funding. Now with the extensive economic reform and new investment law, Myanmar is attracting new investment from within and aboard in electricity, water, transportation and telecommunication.

"We need financial, technology and innovation to help our country to develop infrastructure," said H.E. Dr. Khin San Yee, Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development, Myanmar.

Dr. Khin San Yee also said that concerned ministries and private sectors need to coordinate their development efforts. Myanmar is taking up the chair of ASEAN next year. Many infrastructural projects in the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity have been identified. The ASEAN members are studying way to mobilize funding for the future projects.

Prof Yasuhiro Yamada, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of ERIA said that the PPP system is a good way to promote infrastructural development because the private sector has finance, ideas and innovation to engage infrastructural projects. Many developing countries have successfully been utilizing the PPP for their infrastructural development.

Following the success of the series of PPP seminars in Lao PDR and Cambodia earlier this month, leading experts in PPP were invited to take part in seminar in Myanmar's capital.

Mr. Mario D'Elia, Partner, Infrastructure Advisory, PWC, Australia, said that infrastructural projects must be chosen with care to ensure that they are sustainable and beneficial to the public.

Other speakers included Dr. Fauziah Zen, ERIA researcher, Prof John A Black of University of New South Wales, Prof Dr. Thida Kyu, Ministry of Education, Daw New Ni Win Kyaw, Department of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transport, Mr. Louie Ferrer, Chief Marketing Officer, Megawide Construction Corporation, Philippines; Dr. Leonie Lethbridge, Chief Operating Officer, PT. Bank ANZ Indonesia.

ERIA has conducted several studies in infrastructure development in ASEAN with emphasis on the utilization of private-sector participation.

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PPP Seminar in Nay Pyi Taw