ASEAN economic institute ERIA to aid Myanmar

The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) will provide capacity-building support to facilitate the drafting of a plan to guide national economic development, an official said this week.

The institute’s chief economist, Mr Fukunari Kimura, told The Myanmar Times in Phnom Penh on Monday, November 12, that it would start training government officials responsible for creating the Myanmar Comprehensive Development Vision from the middle of next year.

A survey of Myanmar’s economic, political and social context is already underway ahead of the start of the program, after which ERIA will advise the ASEAN Secretariat of Myanmar’s funding needs.

“Myanmar is trying to change very quickly now. You should have a vision for that development otherwise the coordination with other countries will not be good,” he said.

A major aim of the vision is to improve connectivity with neighbouring countries and reduce inequality between urban centres and rural and border areas.

“[The support] comes from the agreement from the national leaders, particularly the part of the project about construction and connectivity within Myanmar – Yangon and Mandalay as well as the rural areas, and at the same time, border areas,” Mr Kimura said.

“You know that on the Thai side [of the border] people can earn higher income and the Myanmar side gets lower income. We need to increase the income in the Myanmar side.

“I expect a lot of stakeholders will also be included but especially we will cooperate with many government ministries.”

According to a recent ERIA report, Toward CADP 3: Regional Connectivity, the Comprehensive Asia Development Plan and Myanmar Comprehensive Development Vision, Myanmar is the “weakest link” in the region in terms of connectivity, despite its “high potentiality”.

“ERIA is supporting the Myanmar government to develop the Myanmar Comprehensive Development Vision because … connectivity enhancement and better spatial design will maximise the potential of Myanmar and will dramatically change the shape of East Asia,” the report said.

source: The Myanmar Times
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/3288-asean-economic-institute-eria-to-aid-myanmar.html