Latin America's Business Information Leader
"The new BNamericas.com is already available for you, Get to know it here"
http://www.bnamericas.com/
Monday, January 18, 2010
Today's News Headlines
* EFE awards southern rail rehabilitation contract to Icil Icafal - Chile
* Minister inaugurates US$8mn overpass on concessioned highway - Chile
* DNIT launches 2 tenders for maintenance on 727km of BR-230 in Pará - Brazil
* Logistics study puts Brazil on top in Latin America - Regional
* Provías spending US$131mn on highways - Peru
* San José overpass to be ready in May - Costa Rica
* Hatch purchases local infrastructure consultancy firm - Chile
* World Bank lending US$150mn for highways - Peru
* Macquarie launches infrastructure fund - Mexico
* SEP proposes US$383mn port budget to prepare for 2014 World Cup - Brazil
* Bugaba-Boquerón roadworks 93% complete - Panama
* Govt to launch tender to renew Managua's bus fleet - Nicaragua
* IN BRIEF Lugo reactivates transport ministry - Paraguay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* EFE awards southern rail rehabilitation contract to Icil Icafal - Chile
Chile's state rail company EFE awarded a tender for the rehabilitation of a southern railway stretch to local rail development firm Icil Icafal, the firm's general manager Jorge Dublé told BNamericas.
The company will rehabilitate the stretch along the San Rosendo-Puerto Montt line, which runs from regions VIII to X.
Works will be carried out this year and will require an investment of US$32mn, Dublé said.
The stretch to be repaired begins in region XIV's San José de la Mariquina district and ends in region X's Puerto Montt city, he added.
The contract also involves the maintenance of the line for an additional 14 years, Dublé said.
The railway's rehabilitation is part of EFE's 2008-10 investment plan, in which the firms expects to disburse at least US$120mn this year.
By Eva Medalla
Business News Americas
* Minister inaugurates US$8mn overpass on concessioned highway - Chile
Chile's public works (MOP) minister Sergio Bitar inaugurated a 3.7bn-peso (US$7.6mn) overpass on the concessioned Autopista Central highway, the ministry reported in a release.
The cost was covered by the highway concessionaire, a consortium comprised of Spanish firm Abertis and the local branch of Swedish company Skanska, a MOP official told BNamericas.
The initiative, which is part of Chile's concessioned highway safety program, involved the construction of an overpass and a two rainwater drainage tanks with the capacity to hold a total of 30,000m3 of water. The tanks will prevent flooding in the Las Acacias residential area.
"This project will solve many problems, and we are very happy because it will translate into better living conditions in the San Bernardo district, as well as in others," Bitar said.
The overpass will also reduce accidents in the area, the minister added.
Additional road connections and improved signaling were included in the project.
The construction of the 39.5km Autopista Central highway began in 2001 and the highway was inaugurated in 2004.
By Eva Medalla
Business News Americas
* DNIT launches 2 tenders for maintenance on 727km of BR-230 in Pará - Brazil
Brazil's national transport infrastructure department (DNIT) has launched two tenders for maintenance along 727km of the BR-230 highway in Pará state.
"Each of the tenders is divided into two sections to help facilitate the work in accordance with the criteria stipulated by engineers," a DNIT spokesperson told BNamericas.
The first tender involves the maintenance of 391km. A 194km section runs between the municipalities of Rio Araguaia (kilometer 0) and Rio Cajazeiras (kilometer 194). Section two runs 196km from Rio Cajazeiras to the municipality of Rio Arataú (kilometer 390).
The second tender totals 336km. The first section entails a 180km stretch running between the municipalities of Rio Aratau and Rio Xingu (kilometer 570). A 156km stretch makes up the second section which runs from Rio Xingu to the municipality of Medicilândia (kilometer 727).
Companies should submit proposals in both cases to the DNIT office in Pará capital Belém on February 23.
"No project starting dates or completion deadlines have been set as it depends on the results of the tender," the spokesperson said.
By Daniel Bland
Business News Americas
* Logistics study puts Brazil on top in Latin America - Regional
Brazil has the best logistics in the Latin American region, according to a new World Bank study on trade logistics.
However, while Brazil ranks number 1 in Latin America, it only made 41st place in the international ranking drawn up by the bank.
Germany is the top performer among the 155 economies included in the report.
Other regional rankings include Argentina (48), Chile (49), Mexico (50) and Panama (51) with Costa Rica coming in at 56.
The worst performers in the region were Nicaragua (107), Jamaica (108) and Bolivia (112), while Cuba ranked close to last at 150.
The capacity of countries to efficiently move goods and connect manufacturers and consumers with international markets is improving around the world, but much more progress is needed to spur faster economic growth and help firms benefit from trade recovery, according to the study.
Although the study shows a substantial logistics gap between rich countries and most developing countries, it finds positive trends in some areas essential to logistics performance and trade. Some of them include the modernization of customs, use of information technology and the development of private logistics services.
Logistics performance is heavily influenced by the quality of public sector institutions and the effective coordination of border clearance processes among all border management agencies, according to the findings of the study.
Other areas for improvement include better transport policies; increasing competition in trade-related services such as trucking, freight forwarding and railways; and better trade-related infrastructure.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Provías spending US$131mn on highways - Peru
Peru's national roads authority Provías will spend 374mn soles (US$131mn) on highway construction and maintenance in 2010, according to authority head Daniel Vera Ballón.
The authority will also request an extra budget allowance to spend 76mn soles on bridges throughout the country, Vera Ballón was quoted as saying by state news agency Andina.
The official expressed his concern regarding the number of regional authorities that failed to exercise their budgets for road improvements in 2009.
"There are regional governments that haven't spent a cent, as is the case with Puno, which was allocated 3mn soles," Vera Ballón said.
Provías' plans in 2010 include carrying out maintenance work on 710km of roads in the Andean area, with support from the World Bank and IDB, the report said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* San José overpass to be ready in May - Costa Rica
Construction of an overpass in Costa Rica's capital city San José is expected to be finished by May, the public works and transport ministry (MOPT) reported in a release.
MOPT is investing some 5.68bn colones (US$10.1mn) in the project which is being carried out by local construction company Meco. Works are currently 50% complete.
The structure, which is 23.7m wide and 411m long, will have six lanes: three running from east to west and another three running from west to east.
The overpass is being built in Alajuelita canton and will replace the Alajuelita roundabout on the Circunvalación highway. An estimated 63,000 cars move through the sector each day.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Hatch purchases local infrastructure consultancy firm - Chile
The local branch of Canada-based international consulting firm Hatch recently purchased Chilean consultancy firm REG Estudios de Ingeniería, the former company reported in a release.
The purchase was completed on January 6 and will boost Hatch's potential to develop infrastructure projects.
REG has over 35 years of experience in the development of public and private initiatives that include water projects; dams and reservoirs; tunnels; waste disposal systems; transport projects; high density fluid management; water and mining networks; environmental initiatives; mines; and roads.
Last year, Hatch created its Latin America infrastructure division comprising four main segments: transport, water, services and joint ventures.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* World Bank lending US$150mn for highways - Peru
The World Bank has approved a US$150mn loan for a safe and sustainable transport project in Peru, the multilateral said in a release.
The loan will be used for the maintenance and rehabilitation of national highways, the implementation of improved safety measures, and institutional strengthening of the transport and communications ministry (MTC).
"This operation will streamline passenger and cargo transportation conditions along national road networks that are essential for Peru's competitiveness," said transport minister Enrique Cornejo.
Rehabilitation and modernization work will be carried out over 183km of roads, including the Ayacucho-Abancay highway, the Llama-Cochabamba highway, the Cochabamba-Chota highway, and the Reither Bridge-Paucartambo Bridge-Villarica highway.
Another 2,096km of highways will receive maintenance work under medium-term results-based maintenance contracts, the bank said.
The 21.5-year loan has a Libor-based variable interest rate and 8.5-year grace period.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Macquarie launches infrastructure fund - Mexico
Australian investment bank Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG, Pink Sheets: MQBKY) has begun an infrastructure fund for Mexico with initial commitments worth 5.2bn pesos (US$410mn), supported by national infrastructure fund Fonadin and private pension funds (Afores).
The fund will target investments in areas including highway and rail infrastructure, airports and ports, as well as water and wastewater, Macquarie said in a release.
Macquarie has committed 750mn pesos for the fund, while Afores have agreed to invest 3.42bn pesos.
Meanwhile, Fonadin made an initial commitment to contribute some 1.04bn pesos, and will also act as a cornerstone investor for the fund, putting in up to 3bn pesos in total.
The outlay represents Fonadin's first direct investment in an infrastructure fund, and is consistent with the government's national infrastructure plan (PNI), which began in 2007.
The Macquarie fund is the first peso-denominated fund to focus solely on Mexican infrastructure projects, the company said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* SEP proposes US$383mn port budget to prepare for 2014 World Cup - Brazil
Brazil's special ports department (SEP) is proposing to invest 677mn reais (US$383mn) to improve port infrastructure in seven of the 2014 World Cup host cities, government news service Agência Brasil reported.
The objective is to prepare these cities to receive transatlantic passenger ships and the budget is currently awaiting presidential approval, the report said.
The idea is to start investments this year and finish works by 2012, according to SEP head Pedro Brito.
"We will launch tenders in 2010. Some projects will start this year but most will start in 2011," Brito said.
In addition to building new terminals, works involve renovating and expanding existing terminals, improving land access and overall port infrastructure such as the extension of wharves.
Investments will be made in the ports of Salvador (Bahia), Recife (Penambuco), Natal (Rio Grande do Norte), Fortaleza (Ceará), Manaus (Amazonas) and Rio de Janeiro. Work will also be carried out at Santos port (São Paulo), the report said.
PROJECTS
Close to 299mn reais will be spent to build three new piers at Rio de Janeiro port.
At the same time, a total of 114mn reais will be invested in Santos to improve wharfs and build 3.5km of access routes.
In Fortaleza, 93mn reais will be spent to build a passenger terminal and a multi-use ship docking area. Resources will also be spent on parking, paving and urbanization.
Manaus will receive 79.9mn reais to rehabilitate existing terminals, expand platforms as well as construct a 7Mm2 parking lot with a covered walkway leading to the terminal.
A total of 46.5mn reais will be used to expand the wharf at Natal, pave access roads and improve parking conditions.
In Salvador, improvements to the passenger terminal will cost 29.3mn reais. Works include paving and urbanization.
Finally, Recife will spend about 17mn reais to improve its warehouse 7. Paving and urbanization is also planned at the port.
Meanwhile, the country's growth acceleration plan (PAC) is financing a national dredging program costing a total of 1.6bn reais to be spent from 2008-10.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Bugaba-Boquerón roadworks 93% complete - Panama
Panama's public works ministry (MOP) announced that works to rehabilitate the road which runs from Cuesta de Piedra in Bugaba district to Boquerón district is 93% finished, MOP reported in a release.
The initiative, which is being carried out in Panama's western Chiriquí province, is costing some US$11.7mn.
Works include paving and the construction of sidewalks and ditches and will benefit more than 120,000 people living in Chirqui's districts of Boquete, Bugaba, Dolega and David.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* Govt to launch tender to renew Managua's bus fleet - Nicaragua
Nicaraguan capital Managua's transport regulator (Irtramma) was expected to launch a tender on Friday for the purchase of 350 new buses, local paper La Prensa reported.
The buses will be bought in Mexico and the resources will be obtained from a US$26.7mn loan from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Cabei). The loan has a 22-year term, a grace period of five years and a 3% interest rate.
"The idea is that with the cash that will be generated during the grace period, Nicaragua can import around 600 buses in the future," Cabei's president for Nicaragua, Silvio Conrado, was quoted as saying, adding: "The transport companies will have to pay for the units from the moment they are handed over and this will allow them to accumulate capital to buy more units."
The initiative is part of a government plan to modernize the country's public transport system.
A first tender to partially replace Managua's bus fleet was launched in 2009, but was declared void because not enough companies participated in the tender, the report said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
* IN BRIEF Lugo reactivates transport ministry - Paraguay
Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo has issued a decree to revive the country's transport ministry, which has been inactive since 2001, to resume operations.
Former national transport department (Dinatran) head Luis Pereira will take on the role of transport minister, the presidential website reported.
Pereira's first task will be to carry out a diagnosis of the sector, and plan measures to improve and modernize both the metropolitan and inter-urban transport systems, the report said.
By Business News Americas staff reporters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In-deph interview
* Railway transport is a feasible solution
Jorge Dublé
General manager
Icil Icafal
Chile, Regional
http://www.bnamericas.com/interviews/infrastructure/Jorge_Duble_,Icil_Icafal,/170324165
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Main companies covered in today's news
* Empresas Municipales de Cali
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Empresas_Municipales_de_Cali-Emcali/170324165
* Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Ministerio_de_Transportes_y_Comunicaciones-MTC_Peru/170324165
* Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Ministerio_de_Obras_Publicas_y_Transportes-MOPT_,Costa_Rica,/170324165
* The World Bank Group
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/The_World_Bank_Group-World_Bank/170324165
* Departamento Nacional de Infra-Estrutura de Transportes
http://www.bnamericas.com/company-profile/en/Departamento_Nacional_de_Infra-Estrutura_de_Transportes-DNIT/170324165
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Products
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click Here to subscribe Now!
http://www.bnamericas.com/web_subscribe_now.jsp?idioma=I&login=atlantm1210@ukr.net&idForm=95
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Share the news, give your friends and colleagues a two weeks free trial
http://www.bnamericas.com/share_the_news.jsp?idioma=I&Act=
Business News Americas Ltda.
Latin America's Business Information Leader
eMail: info@BNamericas.com
© 1996-2010 All Rights Reserved.