Overseas appetites

THERE is an estimated $885 billion worth of privatisations and infrastructure projects ahead in the region to be financed, the Asia-Pacific Issuers and Investors Forum was told yesterday.

And demand for Asian equity is growing alongside overseas investors' appetite for Asian debt.

Merrill Lynch International Asia Pacific chairman Peter Clarke told the conference: ''Unlike the fixed income markets, the selling of Asian equity issues still requires non-Asian capital. And, as we have seen this year, there is no shortage of volunteers.''