• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • In the news: Myanmar

    ADB names short-term goals in Myanmar

    The Asian Development Bank has taken another step toward full re-engagement in Myanmar: It has approved an interim strategy designed to guide its work in the country through 2014.

    By Ivy Mungcal // 29 October 2012
    Asian Development Bank Vice President for East Asia Stephen P. Groff meets with Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi on August 19, 2012. Photo by: ADB / CC BY-NC

    The Asian Development Bank has taken another step toward full re-engagement in Myanmar: It has approved an interim strategy designed to guide its work in the country through 2014.

    The approval of the plan on Oct. 26, however, does not signal the resumption of ADB loans, projects and programs in Myanmar. The resumption of these operations is contingent on Myanmar clearing approximately $500 million of its debt to ADB. The country is expected to clear its arrears with ADB and the World Bank starting January 2013 through a plan adopted in August.

    The interim country partnership strategy is to serve as a framework that will “set the parameters” for future programs and projects, according to Stephen Groff, ADB vice president responsible for operations in East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

    “It essentially sets the boundaries around what we would do — and it’s something we have to have in place before we can move on to the next phase. In that sense, it is vital,” Groff told the Financial Times.

    The strategy identifies three program areas the ADB intends to prioritize in the interim phase:

    • Capacity building in key public sector agencies.

    • Economic activities that could pave way for microeconomic stability, trade and investment, economic diversification, and job creation.

    • Rural development, including the construction of basic infrastructure and support for social services.

    Across these program areas, ADB said it will promote environmental sustainability, good governance, private sector development, regional cooperation and integration, and gender equality. The strategy also includes plans for deeper cooperation with civil society and deeper assessments that will serve as basis for future sector support strategies.

    And while loans are still out of the picture, ADB plans to provide technical assistance grants and policy advice to select government ministries such as education. The grants are expected to help recipient ministers plan and implement development projects, manage reforms and improve data gathering.

    This is the first interim strategy for Myanmar to be approved by any multilateral development bank. The World Bank is expected to vote this week on a similar plan for the country, which has attracted renewed donor attention over the past months after implementing economic and governance reforms.

    ADB and World Bank suspended their programs in Myanmar in the late 1990s after the country stopped repaying its loans, among other reasons.

    Read more:

    • World Bank, ADB: Officially in Myanmar

    • ADB in Myanmar: Challenges and opportunities for re-engagement

    Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world’s leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.

    • Banking & Finance
    • Funding
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Ivy Mungcal

      Ivy Mungcal

      As former senior staff writer, Ivy Mungcal contributed to several Devex publications. Her focus is on breaking news, and in particular on global aid reform and trends in the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Before joining Devex in 2009, Ivy produced specialized content for U.S. and U.K.-based business websites.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Food SystemsHow ADB plans to invest $40B in food systems by 2030

    How ADB plans to invest $40B in food systems by 2030

    Climate FinanceIs ADB still Asia and the Pacific’s ‘climate bank’?

    Is ADB still Asia and the Pacific’s ‘climate bank’?

    Devex InvestedDevex Invested: Unpacking Bill Gates’ pledge to spend $200B by 2045

    Devex Invested: Unpacking Bill Gates’ pledge to spend $200B by 2045

    Economic developmentInside the United States’ new ‘trade, not aid’ strategy in Africa

    Inside the United States’ new ‘trade, not aid’ strategy in Africa

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      The UN's changing of the guard
    • 3
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 4
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 5
      The top local employers in Europe
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement