Improved aviation infrastructure needed to spur growth in Asean, says Liew Mun Leong

[SINGAPORE] Economic growth in Asean countries can be accelerated if more is done to improve their infrastructure within the region, especially in the area of aviation, said Liew Mun Leong, chairman of Surbana Jurong Private Ltd and chairman of Changi Airport Group, on Monday morning.

Currently, the region is "grossly deficit" in infrastructure facilities, which severely hinders the region's global connectivity, he told the audience of almost 300 business leaders at The Business Times Leaders' Forum 2018.

In his speech, he listed the challenges for infrastructure development in the region. The difficulty of securing finance is one, as most infrastructure projects may not appear "bankable" if they lack adequate technical and financial feasibility studies.