Publication: The Status of Infrastructure Services in East Asia and Pacific
Loading...
Date
2017-10-03
ISSN
Published
2017-10-03
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
Infrastructure plays an important role in the economic and social development of any country. Access to reliable, high-quality, efficient and affordable infrastructure services is a critical factor for reducing poverty and inequality, promoting economic growth and improving productivity, creating jobs, and promoting environmental sustainability and resilience in the face of major uncertainties including climate change. Given the World Bank Group’s active role in infrastructure development, the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) regional team has commissioned this report to take stock of the current levels of access, quality, tariffs, and costs associated with infrastructure services. This report aims to provide an overview of the status of economic infrastructure in several key sectors in the EAP region, particularly for networked infrastructure services such as urban water supply and sewerage, road transport, and electricity distribution. The exercise aims to shed light on the areas of greatest need, as well as to identify which sectors and geographical areas most require focused investments. The report also offers an account of trends and current levels of private sector investment in EAP countries to help inform financing strategies and decisions.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank Group. 2017. The Status of Infrastructure Services in East Asia and Pacific. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28954 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication World Bank East Asia and Pacific Economic Update 2010, Volume 2 : Robust Recovery, Rising Risks(World Bank, 2010)Output has recovered to above pre-crisis levels throughout developing East Asia and, in some countries, is expanding at near pre-crisis rates. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is likely to rise 8.9 percent in the region in 2010, up from 7.3 percent in 2009 and in line with the average growth rate during 2000-08. Economic expansion is projected to slow to about 7.8 percent in 2011, as spare capacity becomes scarce, fiscal and monetary stimulus measures are gradually unwound, and economic growth in the advanced economies remains relatively flat. Encouragingly, the private sector is once again becoming the engine of growth, confidence is returning, and trade flows have returned to pre-crisis levels. But the recovery so far has generated little incremental manufacturing employment in some of the middle-income countries. With output gaps closing rapidly and private investment recovering strongly, the authorities in most East Asian countries are unwinding their stimulus measures. Finally, a more consistent application of policy incentives for investment and growth across space is called for, especially recognizing China's unique combination of fiscal decentralization and centralized government structure. Extending preferential policies related to taxation and deregulation further inland, broadening the access to credit, and standardizing basic health and education services across provinces will greatly level the playing field in favor of the inland provinces, improving both equity and growth.Publication Private Activity in Infrastructure in East Asia and Pacific Declined for Third Consecutive Year in 2010(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2011-08)In 2010, 36 infrastructure projects with private participation reached financial or contractual closing in seven low and middle-income countries, involving investment commitments of US$10.9 billion. Infrastructure projects implemented in the 1990-2009 period attracted new investment of US$4.3 billion, bringing total investment commitments to infrastructure in the region to US$15.2 billion in 2010. The activity in 2010 represents a 9 percent decline by investment and 45 percent drop by number of projects compared with 2009. Investments in new projects fell by 9 percent and in projects implemented in previous years by 10 percent compared with 2009.Publication Consumer Participation in Infrastructure Regulation : Evidence from the East Asia and Pacific Region(Washington, DC : World Bank, 2005)Consumer Participation in Infrastructure Regulation draws on results of a survey questionnaire conducted among 45 infrastructure regulators in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region. It finds that EAP regulators have successfully begun to involve consumers in the regulatory process: consumer representation is a well-established practice in the region; and regulators draw on standard mechanisms to inform consumers, resolve consumer complaints, and solicit consumer input. However, regulators must take further actions to firmly move up the "ladder of consumer engagement," from merely providing information to actively consulting with consumers. In particular, consumer participation would benefit from more open disclosure policies, more effective strategies to reach out to the poor, and, tighter regulatory intervention to hold service providers accountable for resolving consumer complaints.Publication Connecting East Asia : A New Framework for Infrastructure(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2005)Infrastructure development has made a major contribution to East Asia's enviable record on growth and poverty reduction. However, substantial new investments in infrastructure and service delivery improvements will be required to sustain progress in the future, and to address new challenges posed by urbanization, decentralization, and regional integration. At the same time, questions have often been raised about the impact of infrastructure on the environment and local communities, about waste through corruption in public spending and private contracts, and about the appropriate roles of the public and private sectors in infrastructure financing, ownership, and management. These questions are the motivation for this study by the Asian Development Bank, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and the World Bank. The three agencies support infrastructure development through project financing and guarantees, as well as by assisting governments to put in place policies to improve public sector performance, and to attract private investment. Each agency will follow its own operational strategy in each country, but it is expected this new framework will enable taking a more coherent and consistent approach. By suggesting a "new framework" for infrastructure development in the region, Connecting East Asia presents an approach that will help avoid costly mistakes, and allow policy makers, development partners, nongovernmental organizations, and the public and private sectors to work together toward the successful provision of infrastructure. The report is organized around three main themes: inclusive development, coordination, and accountability and risk management.Publication Infrastructure and Employment Creation in the Middle East and North Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2013-01-17)The state of national labor markets has always been a concern for governments and development agencies such as the World Bank. Key labor market indicators, such as the rate of unemployment, send signals about the health of an economy and mirror citizens' attitudes. Being gainfully employed is an important aspect of an individual's well-being both financially and socially, as 'initial failures in finding a job can lead to persistent joblessness, a loss of interest in further schooling, delayed family formation, mental distress, and negative manifestations of citizenship' (World Bank 2007). Increased expenditure on infrastructure projects has a short-run effect on employment creation as more workers are hired to build infrastructure. These jobs last only during the investment phase of the project, and, without a continuous injection as in a stimulus-type program, such jobs will be temporary. However, the investment program will have created a larger stock of infrastructure capital and this permanent addition facilitates additional growth in the economy. The extra demand from this incremental growth creates more jobs, and these tend to be permanent. Furthermore, an employment experience in an infrastructure-related employment program, even if temporary, might improve the chance of being re-employed at a later date. This study capitalizes on the World Bank's long-standing knowledge on infrastructure, employment, and growth and applies it to the case of MENA to assess the employment creation potential of infrastructure investment.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Fixing the Foundation(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-09-20)Countries in middle-income East Asia and the Pacific were already experiencing serious learning deficits prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-related school disruptions have only made things worse. Learning poverty -- defined as the percentage of 10-year-olds who cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text -- is as high as 90 percent in several countries. Several large Southeast Asian countries consistently perform well below expectations on adolescent learning assessments. This report examines key factors affecting student learning in the region, with emphasis on the central role of teachers and teaching quality. It also analyzes the role education technologies, which came into widespread use during the pandemic, and examines the political economy of education reform. The report presents recommendations on how countries can strengthen teaching to improve learning and, in doing so, can enhance productivity, growth, and future development in the region.Publication Global Economic Prospects, June 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-06-11)After several years of negative shocks, global growth is expected to hold steady in 2024 and then edge up in the next couple of years, in part aided by cautious monetary policy easing as inflation gradually declines. However, economic prospects are envisaged to remain tepid, especially in the most vulnerable countries. Risks to the outlook, while more balanced, are still tilted to the downside, including the possibility of escalating geopolitical tensions, further trade fragmentation, and higher-for-longer interest rates. Natural disasters related to climate change could also hinder activity. Subdued growth prospects across many emerging market and developing economies and continued risks underscore the need for decisive policy action at the global and national levels. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group Flagship Report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.