IFFO hosts panel discussion on Risk Mitigation in Infrastructure Financing at the Belt and Road Summit and announces three new partners

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office (IFFO) took part in the third Belt and Road Summit today (28 June) by hosting a panel discussion on “Risk Mitigation in Infrastructure Financing”. The panel discussion attracted over 1,000 Hong Kong, Mainland China and overseas participants. 

Given the vast infrastructure financing needs, attracting private sector capital is crucial. However, participation of private sector capital in infrastructure financing in these economies have been limited due to concerns over different types of risks, such as political and legal risks at country level as well as construction, operation and financial risks at project level. Therefore, properly mitigating these risks is most critical to improving the bankability of infrastructure projects. The panel looked into these risk factors hindering private sector capital’s participation and discussed the corresponding mitigation solutions.

The Panel Discussion was moderated by Mr Eddie Yue, Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA and Director of IFFO and attended by the following guests (in alphabetical order of organisation name) as speakers: Mr Ian Chung, PRC Leader & Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, AECOM; Mr Geert Peeters, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, CLP Holdings Limited;     Ms Wen Hong, Chief Representative, Hong Kong Representative Office, The Export-Import Bank of China; Mr Mark Moseley, Chief Operating Officer, Global Infrastructure Hub; Mr James Cameron, Co-Head of Infrastructure and Real Estate Group, Asia-Pacific, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited and Mr Tim Warren, Head of Credit Lines, Asia Pacific, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.

IFFO also announced 3 new organisations joining as partners, bringing the total number of IFFO partners to 90. The inclusion of the new partners further strengthened IFFO’s mission in facilitating infrastructure investments and financing through working with a cluster of key stakeholders. The new partners are (in alphabetical order):

1. China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited
2. Global Infrastructure Facility
3. State Development & Investment Corp., Ltd.

HKMA Infrastructure Financing Facilitation Office
28 June 2018

About IFFO

As part of the HKMA, IFFO’s mission is to facilitate infrastructure investments and their financing by working with a cluster of key stakeholders. The functions of IFFO are:

• providing a platform for information exchange and experience sharing;
• building capacity and knowledge on infrastructure investments and financing;
• promoting market and product development; and
• facilitating infrastructure investment and financing flows.

By establishing IFFO, the HKMA can play a valuable role as a catalyst in the facilitation of infrastructure investments and their financings with its mandate to promote Hong Kong as an international financial centre.

For more information about IFFO, please visit http://www.iffo.org.hk/

Mr Eddie Yue (first left), Deputy Chief Executive of the HKMA and Director of IFFO moderates a panel discussion themed “Risk Mitigation in Infrastructure Financing” at the Belt and Road Summit today. Other panel speakers include (from second left to right) Mr Mark Moseley, Chief Operating Officer, Global Infrastructure Hub; Mr James Cameron, Co-Head of Infrastructure and Real Estate Group, Asia-Pacific, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited; Mr Tim Warren, Head of Credit Lines, Asia Pacific, Zurich Insurance Company Ltd.; Ms Wen Hong, Chief Representative, Hong Kong Representative Office, The Export-Import Bank of China; Mr Ian Chung, PRC Leader & Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, AECOM and Mr Geert Peeters, Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, CLP Holdings Limited.