ASIA-PACIFIC MINISTERS ADOPT ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE
Press Release
ESCAP/258
ASIA-PACIFIC MINISTERS ADOPT ACTION PLAN TO IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE
19961030 NEW DELHI, 29 October (UN Information Service) -- The Ministerial Conference on Infrastructure, which began on 23 October, ended today with countries gearing up for action on several fronts to improve the lot of their citizens. The Conference, organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), also resulted in an invitation to the private sector to help speed the development of those countries.During the six-day meeting, governments learned that there were enormous savings to be made by privatizing public projects, increasing transparency, and cutting red tape. Several initiatives were launched to jump-start cooperation between the public and private sectors, including the New Delhi Action Plan on Infrastructure (1997-2006) and the Asia Infrastructure Development Alliance.
A Ministerial Declaration reaffirmed the commitment of ESCAP members and of multilateral and intergovernmental agencies to achieve the goals of the Action Plan. That Plan calls for action at both country and regional levels to address problems in infrastructure development and operation. A total of 47 actions were recommended in the areas of infrastructure policy and planning, administration and management, private-sector participation, logistics and facilitation, environment and safety, human resources development, poverty alleviation, rural areas and disadvantaged groups. They also addressed the needs of the least developed, land-locked, and island developing countries, as well as of disadvantaged economies in transition.
The Conference considered both sector-wide issues and those relating to specific sectors. In the transport sector, the vital importance of land- transport linkages and facilitating the movement of vehicles, goods and passengers across the Asian mainland received substantial attention, according to ESCAP Executive Secretary, Adrianus Mooy.
In telecommunications, discussions focused on the revolution in technology and the convergence of media, telecommunications, computers and the information highway, with delegates calling for a "Green Paper for
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Telecommunications in the Asia Pacific Region". Congestion and pollution in major cities was also high on the Conference's agenda, as was tourism, with delegates stressing the importance of tourism to economic development, but also noting that the lack of adequate infrastructure in many countries hampered its development.
The Asia Infrastructure Development Alliance, launched on 28 October, is funded by the private sector. It will design and implement products and services aimed at accelerating investment in infrastructure development. It will also assist governments in attracting and mobilizing private-sector investment.
Thirty Ministers from 40 Asia-Pacific countries attended the Conference, which was billed as the largest of its kind. An innovative feature was the face-to-face encounter between Ministers and major business players in the region. According to an ESCAP study, the bill for financing proposed projects in the developing countries is estimated at around $1,400 billion between 1993 and 2000. Of that amount, $500 billion is already available, leaving a gap of $900 billion. Provision of water services for domestic water supply and sanitation alone would require $127 billion. However, enormous savings could be made through better management. Leaks, illegal taps and meter errors claimed 52 per cent of the utility's production.
Developing countries also face a dilemma when it comes to catching up with demand. For example, the power-generating capacity in developing countries had grown by 7 per cent annually during a period in which consumption of electricity had increased by 10 per cent. The Ministers also expressed concern about the environmental impact of transport and energy. The transport sector is responsible for 22 per cent of the global energy consumption and 25 per cent of fossil fuel usage. In some countries, transport accounts for between 52 and 61 per cent of energy usage.
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