All Countries and All Sectors

Kenya’s transport networks are expected to see a number of significant upgrades in the coming years as a spate of multibillion dollar projects break ground, with the private sector’s involvement set to expand following the passage in 2013 of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act.

Pressure is mounting on Malaysia’s central bank to tighten loan restrictions after its annual report showed household debt levels inching towards 87% of GDP at the end of 2013. With the highest household debt levels in Asia, demand for credit is driven primarily by the desire to buy properties and vehicles.

The recalculation of Nigeria’s GDP may encourage more foreign investment and further development, though the rebasing process has also underscored the need for more of this newly identified wealth to be invested in structural reforms to ease income inequality and boost social and economic inclusiveness.

A return to economic growth in Thailand is expected to drive greater demand for electricity, hastening efforts to look for alternative sources of energy, although continued political uncertainty could slow public investments in power plants and transmission lines.

Over the past 15 years, Egypt has built a growing reputation as a centre for export-oriented ICT services, particularly business and knowledge process outsourcing (BPO and KPO), with revenues that exceeded $1.1bn in 2011, according to a Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) presentation last year.

The education system in Myanmar is attracting attention, as both the state and private sector look to invest in upgrading schools and universities. The re-opening of Yangon University to undergraduates last December is seen as a key development. Once considered a leading institution in the region and home to 60,000 students, the university saw its undergraduate teaching suspended in the late 1990s.