Transport & Infrastructure

Myanmar’s success in improving its transport infrastructure is clearly illustrated by developments in Yangon, the country’s commercial capital. Yangon International Airport, for instance, has undergone significant upgrades and now has an annual capacity of 20m passengers. Upgrades are also being made to the Yangon Circular Railway. Older buses that once contributed heavily to air pollution have mostly been replaced, and a modern bus service is in operation. The city is also served by 50,000 taxis and a catamaran water bus service. Ports are being modernised as well, with work on a 400-metre wharf near the Thilawa Special Economic Zone completed in December 2018. A new $290m container terminal on the Yangon River has received in-principle approval, and a deepwater port at Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State is in the pipeline as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Nevertheless, transport infrastructure in the countryside remains below standard. This chapter contains an interview with Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency.