ADB and Japan launch new platform to boost APAC investments

This will benefit various sectors, including energy.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan have launched a new platform that will help developing countries in Asia and the Pacific attract more capital to support activities in various sectors.

According to the bank, the ADB Market Acceleration Platform for Asia and the Pacific (AMAP) will support various activities, including policy and regulatory reforms, institutional capacity building, investment pipeline development, and the design of de-risking structures. 

The multi-donor trust fund aims to attract private sector participation in development areas such as infrastructure, clean energy, financial services, and digital transformation, and also provide targeted support to frontier markets, including the Pacific.

ADB President Masato Kanda and Japanese Minister of Finance Katsunobu Katō signed the agreement on 3 May on the sidelines of ADB’s 58th Annual Meeting in Milan. Japan is the founding contributor, with an initial commitment of $20m.

ADB said the trust fund reflects its “increasing emphasis on private sector-led growth and its commitment to act as both an enabler and mobiliser of private capital.”

Kanda said ADB is also preparing a strategic platform to enhance engagement with both existing and new development partners. The PSD PARTNER Forum will help coordinate trust fund support across blended finance, public-private partnership preparation, and broader private sector development work.