The Thai government is targeting a bigger role for the private sector in boosting economic growth, raising the value of projects it expects to finance in partnership with private investors to 10% of its THB1.43 trillion ($43.07 billion) investment budget from the currently planned 2%, a senior finance ministry official said Wednesday. Join discussion...

The Pacific Investment Management Company, widely known as PIMCO, has launched a new emerging markets and infrastructure bond fund, the company said Monday. The aim of the fund is to capitalise on an expected increase in investment spending by developing nations, which PIMCO reckons could total more than $1 trillion. Join discussion...

Highly geared assets are just one liability in the infrastructure space. Plagued by failed public private partnerships (PPPs), governance issues and the pressures of being overladen with debt, the infrastructure sector is in need of serious reappraisal as an investment. Quite simply, investors are often left wondering if it is a good long-term venture. Join discussion...

Spanish infrastructure and toll road operator Abertis beat forecasts with its growth in nine-month profits thanks to new income streams and said it could improve on those figures for the full year. Join discussion...

HSBC Infrastructure (HICL.L) said on Monday it plans to raise new capital to pay down debt and help fund potential deals it is considering. The listed infrastructure fund said it plans to issue new C shares via a placing and offer for subscription. Collins Stewart and Oriel Securities will act as joint placing agents, the company said. Join discussion...

“I would like to suggest to the tourism ministry to identify places of tourist importance where roads need to be constructed. We (road ministry) would give Rs 50 crore to state governments from CRF to construct major district roads for better connectivity,” Nath said at the World Travel and Tourism Council on Wednesday. Join discussion...

Local authorities may increasingly decide to act as commercial lenders on major waste infrastructure deals as the pot of PFI money begins to dry up, a waste project finance expert claimed yesterday Join discussion...

Macquarie International Infrastructure Fund Limited (MIIF) (MIIF.SI) said on Monday it has agreed to sell 71.6 percent of its interest or a 4.5 percent stake in Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund (MEIF) to a number of investors for S$132 million ($94.62 million). Join discussion...

Institutional investors are being put off infrastructure investment because of the high fees being charged by managers, despite the asset class appealing to them as a way of diversifying their portfolios, according to one of the largest investment consultants. Join discussion...

Tolls and private money, not an infrastructure bank, will raise revenue for infrastructure spending plans under a Tory administration, NCE can reveal. Speaking exclusively to NCE, Conservative construction minister Mark Prisk ruled-out an infrastructure bank, which has long been the subject of lobbying by the ICE. Prisk said it was better to use tolls to attract private investment to finance infrastructure. Join discussion...