FY 2021 Results: Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network

ITAN is part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) and aims to improve systems and structures for infrastructure planning, implementation, and governance. The initiative is led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners to catalyze private sector investment in sustainable infrastructure projects. The overall goal of ITAN is supported by three interconnecting outcomes and four cross-cutting outcomes. Outcome 1 focuses on improving systems and structures for infrastructure planning, implementation, and governance. Outcome 2 aims to enhance laws, regulations, policies, and standards for infrastructure development. Outcome 3 seeks to catalyze market-based investments for infrastructure. The cross-cutting outcomes include labor and environmental standards, gender and social inclusion, private sector engagement, and governance. In FY 2021, ITAN achieved significant results in advancing sustainable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. The USAID/Philippines Delivering Effective Government for Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth Activity, in partnership with government agencies and the private sector, developed the "Build for Tomorrow" Port Modernization initiative. This initiative mobilized $12 million in public domestic investment for sustainable, transparent, and high-quality infrastructure projects. In the Pacific Islands, USAID/Pacific Islands and USAID/Asia Bureau helped mobilize public investment funding for the Palau Submarine Cable Branch System Project, a $30 million infrastructure project. The project aims to establish seamless inter-island connectivity from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, enhancing local trade and tourism. USAID/Asia Bureau also provided training and capacity building to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to improve the Ministry of Finance and other government stakeholders' ability to conduct due diligence for infrastructure proposals. This training strengthened RMI government capacity to assess and evaluate infrastructure proposals to ensure more transparent, open, and best value planning and procurement across their infrastructure investments. In Bangladesh, the USAID/Bangladesh Agricultural Infrastructure Development (BAID) Activity rehabilitated 4.52 kilometers of rural roads, connecting rural Bangladeshis to the country's primary and secondary roads. Alongside the roads, the Activity also improved irrigation and drainage systems, which improved agricultural productivity and helped control flooding. In Vietnam, USAID/Vietnam helped the National Public Private Partnerships (PPP) committee review its current operation, develop a capacity strengthening action plan, and enhance the role of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in raising the voice of the private sector in PPPs. USAID INVEST also developed plans to support the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry's efforts in enhancing PPP awareness among public and private sectors via the development of a virtual PPP helpdesk and PPP boot camp. In Palau, USAID/Asia Bureau is supporting the development of an undersea cable spur that connects Palau to the world's longest undersea cable, spanning from Singapore to the United States. This project provides Palau with the redundancy it needs to realize the economic and development benefits of increased and strengthened digital connectivity. In the Philippines, the United States supported the launch of the first direct Philippines-U.S. cargo shipping service in decades. With assistance from USAID/Philippines's Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development Activity, the Philippine Export Development Council organized a series of discussions with exporters and shipping lines to find solutions to high international shipping costs. As a result of this initiative, Philippine shipping company Iris Logistics launched the first non-stop, direct cargo service from the Philippines to the United States in September 2021, carrying $40 million worth of Philippine exports bound for the U.S. Overall, ITAN's FY 2021 results demonstrate significant progress in advancing sustainable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region, with a focus on improving systems and structures for infrastructure planning, implementation, and governance, enhancing laws, regulations, policies, and standards for infrastructure development, and catalyzing market-based investments for infrastructure.