Infrastructure Investment with Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Economic Growth in Developing Countries in Asia

Abstract

Infrastructure is an important factor of economic growth in developing countries, and economic growth is constrained by the inadequacy of infrastructure, as financing is expensive. The advantage of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in infrastructure is well recognized, allowing financing for expensive infrastructure investments. This study examines the importance of PPP for infrastructure to economic growth in nine developing countries in Asia. The estimated period is from 1990 to 2015 using panel data with fixed effect. The dependent variable is GDP, and independent variables are PPP infrastructure stock, non-PPP infrastructure stock, labor force and literacy rate as a proxy variable of quality of labor. This study estimates PPP infrastructure stock using the Perpetual Inventory Method and controls for the external effect of the Asian Economic Crisis in 1998.This study finds positive effects of PPP infrastructure stock on economic growth. PPP infrastructure stock is an addition to the existing infrastructure stock. The result of this study encourages more PPP investment in developing countries in Asia for economic growth.KeywordsEconomic Growth, Developing Countries, Infrastructure Stock and Public-Private Partnership in Infrastructure