Perhaps the single biggest obstacle to developing infrastructure on a timely basis is acquiring the necessary land, particularly when this needs to be done on a compulsory basis. At the same time, there is a distressing tendency for governments to pass legislation without first adequately consulting the numerous parties likely to be impacted by it […]

Leaving aside the minor matter of Covid’s current impact on the industry, Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal has long been a white elephant – a white whale if you like – beached on the old runway anxiously waiting for some sort of Greenpeace rescue mission in the form of a connection to the rest […]

Sir / Madam, As the HK government requests funding for a feasibility study into the Lantau Tomorrow Vision, you only touch on why it is so unpopular with many residents of Hong Kong (“Phew, no democrats” 5 December 2020). As an expert in infrastructure finance and a long – term resident, let me add some […]

Writing in the South China Morning Post, Andrew is encouraged that the Convenor of Hong Kong’s Executive Council is supporting the greater coordination of airports and ports across the Greater Bay Area, as Logie Group has been advocating these past three years. (Sadly, the newspaper headline rather missed the point.)

HK’s Trade Development Council ran its fifth Belt & Road Initiative summit on a hybrid basis this week. As usual, the government’s intention was to catalyse new business for Hong Kong; less mentioned, but just as promising, are the prospects for dispute resolution. Belt & Road never appealed much to HK investors and lenders but […]

In annus Covidus, Infrastructure Investor Asia’s annual summit went virtual. But during and beyond the lockdowns, what are the prospects for sectors and geographies across emerging markets? Andrew moderated this panel yesterday to find out. He was joined by two heavyweight investors – Neil Brown of Actis looking for control of projects and Mujeeb Qazi […]

On Wednesday, Andrew moderated the panel for the final of seven webinars in Enlit’s series on Indonesia’s New Energy Paradigm, i.e. the power sector and PLN. Fittingly, the series concluded with how to finance upcoming investment and how to turn potential opportunities into actual ones. He was joined by Pak Hot Bakara, EVP Corporate Planning […]

Andrew joined James Cameron of StanChart, Mike Collins of the UK High Commission in Singapore and Mark Rathbone of PWC in a timely discussion today hosted by Rod Morrison of Project Finance International magazine around Refinitiv’s latest data for infrastructure finance raised. To listen to the recording, go here. Of the many points arising: Post […]

Andrew commented ahead of Transit Jam’s 2020 Forum “Rethinking Vehicles First” in HK on 17 September that, at some point in the future, the role of the car will have been transformed from private ownership where the car spends most of its time sitting unused in a car park – to a service from the […]

Commenting on a report in the Financial Times, Andrew pointed out that, even armed with GBP100 billion, a public sector investment bank cannot fund everything itself so needs to catalyse the private sector. First, this requires Properly Preparing Projects (the “other PPP”) which the private sector tends to take more care over. Second, the govt […]

Commenting on a report in the Financial Times, Andrew pointed out that after Indramayu in Indonesia, Vung Ang 2 in Vietnam and Matarbari 2 in Bangladesh which are already in planning, sponsors will have only one place to go … China (Koizumi jnr is pictured).

Amidst the enormous uncertainty – both short and long term – now facing the aviation industry comes welcome news of heroes – or at least of heroic thinking. Last month, the BBS joint venture of Bangkok Airways, BTS Group and Sino – Thai Engineering signed a PPP contract with the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor Office […]

We commented last week on Refinitiv’s latest report on aggregate numbers for China’s Belt & Road Initiative. Now comes news from Islamabad that a Prime Ministerial committee has accused two IPPs built and financed under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor of overcharging for power sold to the state. The committee considers that set-up costs of […]

A shout out to Refinitiv and the fourth edition of their BRI Connect: An Initiative in Numbers report released this month. Our thoughts thereon: Refinitiv calculate that there are now 1,590 BRI projects (i.e. an MOU or a joint statement of cooperation has been signed between China and the host country; the map shows which) […]

Finally, one of the World’s greatest harbours is to get a water taxi service. Except that it isn’t. According to plans submitted by the Transport Dept to LegCo this week, State-owned Chu Kong Shipping was awarded a contract last month to start the service next month. (Chu Kong has also just agreed to buy 60% […]