A sure way to empower Myanmar's people and trade

Three out of four people in Myanmar are without reliable access to electricity. No power means that children cannot study at night, people cannot run a business during the day, and clinics cannot refrigerate medicines vital for the population's health. It's time to turn the lights on.

Access to electricity changes everything. An entrepreneur in a small village can expand trade; charged mobile phones can bring connectivity to urban dwellers and remote villages alike. Rural households can reduce hazardous pollution from wood-fired stoves in poorly ventilated homes. For Myanmar, access to sustainable energy offers the opportunity to boost economic growth dramatically - and to directly improve the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable.

Myanmar's government has embarked on rapid political and economic reforms since 2011, following decades of isolation. But there is still much to do if it is to realise its potential.

It is important for the government to continue with reforms that put people first, and the global community is working together to support these efforts. Arrears to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank have been cleared and we are re-engaging to provide financial and technical support. We are discussing with the government and others how to improve agricultural output, public financial management and microfinance to strengthen the economy.

For Myanmar to build a brighter future, the country's leaders have identified increased access and more reliable electricity as a key priority. The World Bank is prepared to assist this effort; the challenge is to meet short-term needs quickly while setting the country's electric power industry on a sustainable path.

Myanmar's vast hydropower potential and gas reserves mean sustainable power can be made available, if done right. At the moment, a run-down system wastes around a quarter of all generated power before it reaches users. Domestic energy demand outstrips supply by 30 per cent or more.