The Asian Development Bank is planning a return to Myanmar after a two-decade absence with the goal of improving the long-isolated country’s decrepit transport system.

The regional financing body is one of several multilateral lenders coming back to the Southeast Asian nation since a nominally civilian government took power last year and began implementing a political and economic overhaul.

myanmar road workers
Road workers in Myanmar: Transportation is just one aspect of the country’s infrastructure that requires huge development. Picture: Yukari Sekine

The ADB and other international financial-aid organizations gave Myanmar a wide berth after its former military regime began cracking down on its pro-democracy opponents in 1988, and this re-engagement reflects Myanmar’s improved standing in the world under the leadership of reform-minded President Thein Sein.

Now the ADB is assessing where it can make the most impact, and has flagged the country’s crumbling transportation infrastructure as a top priority.

via ADB Targets Crumbling Transport Systems as It Plans Myanmar Return – Southeast Asia Real Time – WSJ.

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