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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* Mandatory safety standards are "first step" for industry - logistics firm - Mexico
* Container handling at Navegantes port up 73% - Brazil
* Morales to nationalize rail network in 2010, says minister - Bolivia
* Country accepts OECD invitation - Chile
* MOP launches highway works, inaugurates irrigation, aerodrome projects - Chile
* NWA completes 3rd bridge under priority program - Jamaica
* IDB approves US$2.6mn to improve Pacific highway network - Central America, Mexico
* Public-private investment in airports to exceed US$182mn - Mexico
* Ministry to spend US$30mn on airports - Bolivia
* OMA airport traffic down 9.9% in December - Mexico
* Correa to inaugurate Nueva Loja airport this week - Ecuador
* Metro inaugurates part of line 5 extension - Chile
* Govt draws up second road package costing US$51mn - Colombia
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* Mandatory safety standards are "first step" for industry - logistics firm - Mexico
The approval of a bill introducing mandatory safety standards for Mexico's cargo transport industry will be an important first step towards standardizing the industry, Daniel Aguilar, director of cargo transport for local logistics and safety firm Merik, told BNamericas.
The bill, drafted by the country's transport and communications ministry (SCT), is likely to be approved in Q1, and aims to ensure that vehicle parts such as brakes and tires, as well as containers used for transporting cargo, comply with international standards.
The lack of safety norms means that items such as the boxes used to transport cargo are not required to conform to specifications such as weight or size. Transporters often use cheaply produced materials in order to cut costs, which has led to an increase in accidents related to cargo transport.
As well as increasing safety standards on Mexico's highways, which currently move 80% of goods produced in the country, the bill will be an important step for the cargo transport industry, according to Aguilar.
"The new law is going to help us take safe steps to ensure that cargo transport in the country keeps improving," Aguilar said.
The bill will increase costs by around 5% for transporters purchasing new equipment, but will not apply to existing units, Aguilar said.
One of the main benefits of the new law will be to allow Mexican firms to export to the US and Canada.
To be eligible to export to these countries, goods must comply with certain standards set out under the 1994 Nafta free trade agreement. The new law will ensure that cargo companies meet these standards, Aguilar said.
Merik offers security products certified under European and US norms. The firm has offices in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Peru.
By Catherine Setterfield
Business News Americas
* Container handling at Navegantes port up 73% - Brazil
Preliminary figures for Brazilian infrastructure firm Triunfo Participações e Investimentos (TPI) (Bovespa: TPIS3) show container handling at Navegantes port went up 73% in 2009, according to a company release.
The company's consolidated TEU performance in 2009 stood at 413,968 TEUs. A total of 239,312 TEUs were handled in 2008.
TPI has operated highway concessions in the south and southeast of Brazil since 1995. The firm also has investments in companies that provide public services in the highway, port and electricity generation sectors.
TPI shares control of Portonave, as well as holding 100% of Rio Verde Energia.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Morales to nationalize rail network in 2010, says minister - Bolivia
Bolivia's President Evo Morales will nationalize the country's rail system during 2010, government news agency ABI reported.
A team from the transport ministry is working to transfer railways to state ownership, and will create a national rail company later this year, public works minister Wálter Delgadillo was quoted as saying.
The Ferroviaria Occidental railway is controlled by Chile's Luksic group, which created Bolivian subsidiary Empresa Ferroviaria Andina (FCA) to operate the line.
The Ferroviaria Oriental railway is 50% owned by US rail company Genesee & Wyoming, while the rest is divided between pension fund managers (AFPs) and minor investors.
Ferroviaria Oriental operates a 1,243km network and the company was privatized in 1996.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Country accepts OECD invitation - Chile
Chile has become the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) 31st member and the organization's first in South America under an accession agreement signed on Monday (Jan 11) in Santiago by OECD secretary general Angel Gurría and Chilean finance minister Andrés Velasco.
"The 'Chilean way' and its expertise will enrich the OECD on key policy issues," said Gurría during the signing ceremony in Santiago. "Chile has been engaged in a continuous effort to reform its economy. This experience will be an asset for the OECD as we try to address issues such as inequality or sustainable pension systems." The agreement requires ratification by congress.
Since it began talks with the OECD in May 2007, Chile has taken significant steps by introducing new laws to end the banking secrecy that provides a shield for possible tax evasion and enabling prosecutors to pursue companies suspected of bribery and corruption, OECD said in a press release.
"The Chilean economy has been growing at over 5% a year for the last 20 years. Impressive progress has been made in reducing poverty, although more still needs to be done. Chile's groundbreaking pension reforms in the early 1980s have served as a model for many other countries."
The OECD said that Chile's prudent tax policies gave it the necessary financial leeway for stimulus measures to support demand and employment when the financial crisis hit in 2008.
In recent months, and as part of the OECD accession process, competition laws and consumer protection in the country have been strengthened. New legislation has established a clear separation between the state and the board of copper mining company Codelco, Chile's largest state-owned enterprise, OECD noted.
In the private sector, a new law will boost transparency by requiring increased information for financial markets while combating misuse of insider information and reinforcing requirements for external auditors, the OECD said, adding that another major reform has seen the extension of public pension coverage.
The OECD will release its latest economic survey of Chile on January 21 in Santiago. The survey sets out the OECD's assessment and recommendations on the main economic challenges faced by Chile.
With both Chile and Mexico as members, and thanks to increasingly close cooperation with Brazil, the OECD said it will have substantially strengthened its links with Latin America. Four other countries - Estonia, Israel, the Russian Federation and Slovenia - are currently negotiating to become members of the organization, which is also working closely with other major economies, including China, India, Indonesia and South Africa, as well as Brazil.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* MOP launches highway works, inaugurates irrigation, aerodrome projects - Chile
Chile's public works minister Sergio Bitar visited region III on January 8 to head three infrastructure-related events, the public works ministry (MOP) reported in a release.
Bitar laid the first stone of the US$290mn Vallenar-Caldera highway, whose 35-year concession contract was awarded to the firm Sacyr Vallehermoso. The company will invest over US$180mn in the project with the rest to be financed through state subsidies.
The initiative consists of the construction, rehabilitation, improvement, operation and maintenance of two stretches totaling 182km. Construction works are expected to take 2.5 years.
The expressway will be used mainly for mining activities.
***
The minister also inaugurated the third section of the Huasco-Vallenar irrigation project.
Works involved improving the five main irrigation canals located in the Vallenar area, as well as the construction of new water intake systems and water tanks.
The third section will irrigate a 4,500ha area, benefitting over 600 farmers.
***
Finally, the minister opened the recently improved aerodrome in Vallenar.
MOP invested over 1.5bn pesos (US$3.1mn) in the project, which included the construction of new runway lanes and new access roads to the aerodrome.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* NWA completes 3rd bridge under priority program - Jamaica
Jamaica's National Works Agency (NWA) has completed construction of the J$169mn (US$1.9mn) Fairfield bridge in St James parish, government information service JIS reported.
The two-lane bridge, which replaces a single-lane structure, has sidewalks, guardrails, and other safety measures.
NWA has built a total of three new bridges in western Jamaica since 2008, according to the report. The other two are the 90mn Jamaican dollars Seven Rivers bridge, also in St. James parish, completed in late January 2009, and the Queen's River bridge in Hanover parish which was finished in November 2009 at a cost of 89mn Jamaican dollars.
NWA is now focusing on finishing the Martha Brae bridge, which is expected to cost some 169mn Jamaican dollars, and the Troy bridge at a cost of around 60mn Jamaican dollars, the report said.
The works are part of NWA's priority bridge program which is being carried out by the Nova Scotia firm R.A. Murray. The program aims to design, build and replace approximately 17 deteriorating bridges across the country.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* IDB approves US$2.6mn to improve Pacific highway network - Central America, Mexico
IDB has approved two non-refundable technical cooperation agreements for a total of US$2.6mn to improve the Pacific corridor highway network, which runs from Mexico's Puebla state to Panama, the bank said in a release.
The corridor is part of the Mesoamerica integration project.
The initiative will improve road infrastructure and provide safer conditions along the highway network. Resources will also be invested to improve customs and migrations infrastructure and procedures at borders.
The first US$1.1mn cooperation agreement will be used to carry out feasibility studies and design solutions for the borders between Mexico and Guatemala; Guatemala and El Salvador; El Salvador and Honduras; Honduras and Nicaragua; Nicaragua and Costa Rica; and between Costa Rica and Panamá, the release said.
The second US$1.5mn donation will be used to carry out maintenance work on the Pacific corridor and design infrastructure solutions to be developed between the years 2015 and 2030.
The Mesoamerica project, formerly known as Plan Puebla-Panamá, was designed to accelerate integration and boost sustainable development in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Public-private investment in airports to exceed US$182mn - Mexico
Mexico's transport and communications ministry (SCT) will work with the private sector to invest 2.3bn pesos (US$182mn) in airport improvements during 2010, the ministry said in a release.
Important projects will include construction of Quintana Roo state's new Riviera Maya international airport, and Palenque airport in Chiapas state, according to SCT head Juan Francisco Molinar Horcasitas.
Expansion and remodeling work will also be carried out at terminal 2 of Cancún airport, as well as Mérida, Oaxaca, Villahermosa and Tijuana airports.
Investments in airport infrastructure for 2009 totaled 1.7bn pesos, Molinar Horcasitas said.
Major works included the inauguration of a second runway at Cancún airport, remodeling of Mar de Cortés airport in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora state, as well as the expansion of Guadalajara and Toluca airports.
SCT will continue working to make the country a world-class logistics platform, said Molinar Horcasitas, who was speaking at a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of aviation in Mexico.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Ministry to spend US$30mn on airports - Bolivia
Bolivia's public works ministry is beginning a five-year plan to build modern international airports in each of its nine department capitals, according to public works minister Wálter Delgadillo.
By 2015, the ministry aims to build nine international airports, as well as national airports in Rurrenabaque, Beni department, Uyuni, in Potosí department, Monteagudo, Nor and Sur Cinti in Chuquisaca department, San Ignacio de Velasco and Puerto Suárez in Santa Cruz department, and Copacabana in La Paz department.
The improvements will cost some US$30mn, Delgadillo said.
The initiative is expected to boost production, tourism and trade in Bolivia, Delgadillo was quoted as saying by state news agency ABI.
The public works ministry's budget for 2010 is US$1.81bn, of which US$787mn will be spent on highways and airports, the report said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* OMA airport traffic down 9.9% in December - Mexico
Mexican airport operator OMA (Nasdaq: OMAB, BMV: OMA) experienced a 9.9% decrease in traffic at its airports in December 2009 compared to the same month in 2008.
Domestic traffic fell 10.5% to 789,243 passengers in the period, with the sharpest drops in traffic seen at Monterrey, Acapulco, Tampico and Ciudad Juárez airports, according to a company release.
Culiacán, Durango, Reynosa and San Luis Potosí airports all reported growth in domestic traffic, with Culiacán airport receiving 11.4% more passengers than in December 2008.
Meanwhile, international traffic was down 7.4% to 170,044 passengers. Monterrey and Acapulco airports had the largest traffic reductions, while Mazatlán, Zacatecas, Durango and Chihuahua airports all reported growth in passenger traffic.
OMA operates 13 airports, serving Monterrey, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Mazatlán, Culiacán, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Tampico, Reynosa, Torreón, Zacatecas, Durango and San Luis Potosí.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Correa to inaugurate Nueva Loja airport this week - Ecuador
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will this week inaugurate the Lago Agrio airport, in Sucumbíos province's Nueva Loja district, local press reported.
The project required a US$5mn investment and has the capacity to handle 150,000 passengers/year.
The facility is equipped with a 2.3km runway, check-in areas, VIP rooms, offices, airline stands and a health center, among others installations.
Works were carried out by the firm Construcciones y Servicios de Minería (Consermin), and finished a month ahead of schedule.
The initiative is part of the country's airport modernization plan, being carried out by the transport and public works ministry, the airport under-secretariat and the national civil aviation authority.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Metro inaugurates part of line 5 extension - Chile
Chile's state-owned Metro company, operating in capital Santiago, will inaugurate part of the extension of line 5 on Tuesday, the firm's president Clemente Pérez told local press.
The stretch extends the line to Pudahuel district.
A total of five new stations will open on January 12: Pudahuel, San Pablo, Lo Prado, Blanqueado and Gruta de Lourdes.
In December, the firm will inaugurate another seven stations, extending the line to Maipú district: Barrancas, Laguna Sur, Monte Tabor, Del Sol, Santiago Bueras and Plaza Maipú.
In one decade, between 1997 and 2007, Metro's network grew from 40km to 80km said Pérez.
The recent extension of line 1 to Las Condes' Los Domínicos area, the extension of line 5 and the recently announced construction of line 6, will extend the system to 115km.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Govt draws up second road package costing US$51mn - Colombia
Colombian department Santander's regional government has assigned 100bn pesos (US$50.8mn) to a second package of roadworks, local paper Vanguardia reported.
The funding will be covered by Colombia's territorial development fund Findeter and will be invested in projects to be carried out this year.
Works include paving the following roads: Folclor-Bocadillo (30km); Agroforestal-Energético (60km); Corredor de la Palma (43km): Corredor Ecoturístico (43km): Páramos-Paisaje (10km); and Aurífero-Del Agua (27km), said Santander's governor Horacio Serpa.
In 2009, authorities awarded 12 tenders, totaling 5.1bn pesos, for maintenance along secondary roads.
Regional authorities are also in the process of awarding another seven tenders and one agreement for eight contracts totaling 3.1bn pesos, also for secondary road maintenance.
The government expects to award another five tenders for emergency roadworks, totaling 2bn pesos, to improve over 50km of roads.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
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In-deph interview
* Mesoamerica: A permanent development initiative
María Teresa de Rendón
Executive director
Mesoamerica integration and development project
Regional
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/infrastructure/Maria_Teresa_de_Rendon_,Mesoamerica_integration_and_development_project,/169479523
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Main companies covered in today's news
* Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Secretaria_de_Comunicaciones_y_Transportes-SCT_Mexico/169479523
* Ministerio de Transporte y Obras Públicas
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Ministerio_de_Transporte_y_Obras_Publicas-MTOP_,Ecuador,/169479523
* Empresa Nacional de Electricidad S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Empresa_Nacional_de_Electricidad_S,A,-ENDE/169479523
* Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Corporacion_Nacional_del_Cobre_de_Chile-Codelco/169479523
* Empresa Eléctrica Corani S.A.
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Empresa_Electrica_Corani_S,A,-Corani/169479523
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