The Asia Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (ASIFMA) and the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) have jointly published a ‘Guide to Infrastructure Financing in Asia’. Promoted as the first comprehensive guide outlining how infrastructure projects can be financed the region, including through the capital markets, the publication is intended to help public authorities, project sponsors, project promoters and issuers interested in raising debt for infrastructure projects in Asia.
The guide also provides key considerations and emphasises that Asia Pacific infrastructure investments are long-term investments, which require consistent and transparent regulatory policy from regulators and public sector authorities. It notes that dominant lenders for infrastructure projects in the region are governments, multi-lateral institutions and banks, however, the infrastructure investment need in Asia is estimated to be US$8 trillion between 2010 and 2020, which “is beyond the funding capabilities of those entities”.