Canada sets out $130 million for five Indo-Pacific development projects

Canada has detailed a $130-million package for five projects intended to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the Indo-Pacific, with work centred on Bangladesh and Thailand.

Global Affairs Canada said Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai announced the package after visits to Ireland, Bangladesh and Thailand and participation in the 2026 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

Where the money is going

An October 19 federal backgrounder lists $18 million for a Canadian agri-innovation export hub in Bangladesh, $5 million for economic and institutional reforms, $4 million for private-sector development, and $18 million for trade reforms and market expansion.

The largest component is an $85-million, five-year FinDev Canada loan to Muangthai Capital. The government says the financing is intended to expand access to formal financial services for underserved rural women-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand.

The underlying Global Affairs Canada release was published October 18. The package is an announcement of funding and planned work, not a report of completed outcomes.

Illustrative image: Photo by Fareed Akhyear Chowdhury / Unsplash. Cropped and resized. The image is not a photograph of the announced projects.