Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) of Malaysia is launching an unprecedented tool that will analyze the level of transparency of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. BRI Monitor is a new resource created by five civil society organizations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to track and promote transparency surrounding regional BRI projects.

The BRI Monitor resource will closely examine regional BRI projects by evaluating public data accessibility based on 38 data points concerning projects’ contract phases. The Construction Sector Transparency Initiative has outlined this information as the standard for proactive disclosure by host governments. The website also features the first-of-its-kind BRI transparency heat map, in addition to several case studies, all of which aim to fill information gaps concerning BRI projects.

“Host governments should be critical of the real economic impacts tied to infrastructure projects,” said Tricia Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer, IDEAS. “We have seen a number of these large infrastructure projects tied to the BRI court controversy due to issues of lack of transparency and public engagement, risks of corruption, and constantly shifting details . BRI Monitor serves as a public resource for greater information accessibility of large public projects and highlights the need for a more robust process of governance to ensure optimal economic returns throughout the Asia Pacific region.”

In Malaysia, IDEAS conducted case studies on foreign-funded projects, the East Coast Rail Link, and the Gemas-Johor Bahru Electrified Double-Tracking Project. These studies attempts to understand the projects in the BRI context, identify domestic and Chinese actors involved, identify issues and governance gaps, and discusses some recommendations to address the issues and gaps.

The founding organizations of BRI Monitor, IDEAS of Malaysia, the Institute of National Affairs in PNG, the Future Forum of Cambodia, the Stratbase Albert Del Rosario Institute of the Philippines, and the Sandhi Governance Institute in Myanmar, work together to ensure transparency and governance of BRI infrastructure projects in the Asia Pacific region. The project is supported by the Center for International Private Enterprise. Founded in 1983, CIPE works to strengthen global democracy through private enterprise and market-oriented reform. For more information, please reach out to contact@brimonitor.org, or check out the website at brimonitor.org.

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