World Economic Forum on East Asia

The 2013 World Economic Forum on East Asia, held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, addressed the country's transition toward a market economy and the planned 2015 launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Key discussions centered on the need for balanced, inclusive growth in Myanmar, the critical requirement for energy and transport infrastructure across the region, and the importance of human capital and social safety nets to ensure resilience against financial and natural shocks.

• Myanmar faces severe infrastructure deficits, with 74% of the population lacking access to power and only 13% of households having electricity, making comprehensive power grids a prerequisite for development.
• The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), planned for 2015, aims to create a unified free trade market for 650 million people by harmonizing regulations, removing tariffs, and streamlining customs.
• East Asia requires an estimated US$ 750 billion annually over five years to meet basic infrastructure goals in the energy, communications, and transport sectors.
• Myanmar's telecommunications sector is largely undeveloped, with less than 7% of the population owning a mobile phone and only 1% having a wire connection, though new legislation and licenses are expected to drive rapid growth.
• The region faces significant risks from natural disasters, with some ASEAN governments spending up to 2.5% of their annual expenditure on recovery.
• Inclusive transformation in Myanmar requires a balanced approach to the extractive sector to avoid the 'resource curse' and ensure that raw materials are processed locally rather than just exported.

APA

World Economic Forum (2013). World Economic Forum on East Asia. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/EA13/WEF_EA13_Report.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. World Economic Forum on East Asia. 2013. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/EA13/WEF_EA13_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=World Economic Forum on East Asia |date=2013 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/EA13/WEF_EA13_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2013world, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{World Economic Forum on East Asia}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2013}, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/EA13/WEF_EA13_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }