WB report focuses on infrastructure quality

Well thought-out investment planning helps raise economic growth rates, increases competitiveness, offers new economic opportunities, and bolsters improvement in human capital, reports BSS citing a new World Bank study.

The WB study report addresses need to better understand current levels of infrastructure quantity and quality.

The report presents data about infrastructure provision in three key sectors in Asia: road transport, electricity, and water and sanitation.

As the first comprehensive, regional stock-taking of levels of supply, quality, and affordability of infrastructure services, the report said Infrastructure in Asia underscores the need to better understand current levels of service delivery to facilitate governments' infrastructure planning and financing.

It said building a more extensive body of knowledge about the health of infrastructure provision worldwide is a priority for the World Bank.

Infrastructure in Asia is the first step of a new research effort that will expand to other regions. The report is organised to provide regional overviews by the sector, followed by country snapshots.

Over the past few decades, a large part of Asia (both East Asia and South Asia) has enjoyed strong economic growth and steady social development.

Nevertheless, the region faces significant constraints in infrastructure investment. This is exacerbated by Covid-19 pandemic and the short-term challenges of a slowing global economy, higher borrowing costs, and geopolitical tensions.