‘We must talk about new sources of infrastructure financing’: CCI

Tomorrow begins the 21st edition of the congress of the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI), an event that entrepreneurs in the civil works sector meet each year together with the Government to address pending issues and tell the country how the construction of public projects is progressing. and private. In an interview with Portafolio, Juan Martín Caicedo, president of the union, highlighted the importance of having representatives of the State in these spaces; in addition, reiterated the urgency of advancing in the structuring and bidding processes of road and airport projects.

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What do you expect this year’s conference to be like? With what assistance?

Our client is the State, and therefore we will hold frank but constructive dialogues and conversations there. Attendance at the event exceeds all expectations, as we will have more than 3,000 people there, including businessmen and spokespeople from other countries.

What news is on the agenda?

The news focuses on the presence of ministers and spokespersons from countries like Chile and Brazil, whose leftist governments are advancing in infrastructure matters hand in hand with the private sector. They do it with a pragmatic sense, where the parties complement each other, just as we have discussed with the government of President Petro. It is noteworthy that the president will attend our annual congress for the third time, within that constructive context.

Likewise, for the first time, we will be accompanied by a representative of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) who will address the challenges in terms of infrastructure management, governance and public procurement. This, within the context of the role played by multilateral organizations in terms of technical advice to promote the economic and social growth of the country. This discussion between the OECD, the World Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will allow us to better understand the strategies and approaches that multilateral entities are implementing to accompany Colombia on its path towards sustainable and equitable development.

We highlight, in turn, the prospects for reactivating the rail mode. With the progress of projects such as the first line of the Bogotá metro, the Medellín metro and the growing integration of Cundinamarca into a rail transport scheme, we are at a decisive moment to analyze how we can maximize the impact of these investments. The private sector, government and regional entities have a key role in ensuring the success of these projects, which will not only modernize transportation in major cities, but will also lay the foundation for a more integrated and efficient rail network in the future. .

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Finally, there are so many needs in terms of infrastructure that we should not lose sight of the importance of talking about new sources of financing such as valuation, works for taxes and works for royalties, which impose great challenges for their efficient and effective implementation. . For the rest, the National Planning Department, the Bogotá DC Aqueduct and Sewer Company and representatives of the private sector will explore the challenges and opportunities of the implementation of the PPP scheme in social infrastructure, which has proven to be an effective contracting modality for promote projects that positively transform the quality of life of Colombians.

What is the x-ray you could make of the sector with the changes in recent years?

There is no doubt that capital cities are driving greater growth in the sector, with large investments in infrastructure. That is, for example, the case of the Bogotá Metro. We trust, therefore, that this dynamic will be transferred to the national stage. On the other hand, the government has honored the payment of future terms, the collection differentials of the concessions, and as the minister has announced, the toll tariff scheme would be updated.

However, there is a cloudy climate for the future of the civil works sector. What is to think that no large tenders have been issued this year?

I must highlight that the tenders for the private initiative of the Gustavo Rojas Pinilla airport in San Andrés and the first La Dorada-Chiriguaná railway APP have already been opened. Likewise, this year the private initiative for the modernization of the Rafael Núñez airport in Cartagena was awarded.

However, it is imperative to accelerate approvals and tenders, as well as advance the structuring of new public and private initiatives.

With the presence of the Government at the meeting, what will be the requests?

It is necessary to cancel Invías’ overdue accounts with contractors, auditors and consultants, and solve the environmental processing problems of some projects.

What other challenges stand out?

Advance in the approval and implementation of private airport initiatives: El Dorado Max and flight field, the new Cartagena airport, the Cali airport, and the private initiative of the Manizales-La Paila highway. Likewise, in the approval and bidding of public initiatives for the El Estanquillo-Popayán and Villeta-Guaduas roads.

In turn, another important challenge facing the sector is the consolidation of the country’s port policy. To this end, it is essential to invest, efficiently, the resources derived from port compensation to achieve the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of maritime, river and land access routes to port terminals.

For its part, it is necessary to preserve legal certainty and the incentive for investments within the framework of the discussions led by the Ministry of Transport itself regarding the updating of the port compensation formula. Finally, in the specific case of the port of Buenaventura, it is necessary to advance with the studies and designs, protocolization of the 7 prior consultations, obtaining resources and subsequent bidding.

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With all this panorama, and the Government’s disposition, what do you expect 2025 to be like?

We hope that investor confidence remains in force, which should translate into the materialization of the financial closings of the concessions, and the participation of the sector in the upcoming bidding processes.

PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Portfolio Journalist