Nineteen companies participated in the meeting with the Maritime Authority of Panama to learn the details of the tender in BOT mode for a port concession worth more than $50 million.
The Panama Maritime Authority has designated an area for the development of the ancillary maritime industries.
From Panama Maritime Authority:
Faithful to its role as a promoter of the development of the ancillary maritime industries, the Panama Maritime Authority began the process of planning, designing and later, the construction of a quay for the provision of services to the ancillary maritime industries, in the Pacific sector of the country.
The Maritime Port Authority has awarded the concession for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a port terminal in Aguadulce, Cocle Province.
The concession will be for 20 years, under the BOT format, and the multipurpose terminal covers an area for cargo containers, fuel storage area and silos for grain and other goods.
The Maritime Port Authority explained that "...For this type of procurement and works involving engineering and complex operations the BOT format is used (Build Operation Transfer) in which the most important and overriding parts of the evaluation are experience and the financial capacity of the companies participating in the tender. "
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) has selected the company Nathan Associates to develop, within three months, a business model to develop the port.
The project will include analysis and identification of the potential to attract investors to the market.
According to Prensa.com, "... this development plan ... seeks to identify viable options for creating business opportunities and alternatives for intermodal transport and logistics systems ...
The expansion of the port of Armuelles, expanding the capacity of the port of Vacamonte and studies to improve the capacity of agricultural bulk cargo in Aguadulce are part of the projects expected to be granted in concessions in Panama.
The Canal expansion has forced the upgrading and expansion of the capacity of the country's ports, for which reason the Maritime Port Authority (AMP) is studying the feasibility of improvements in some of the terminals and others have already started tender processes, such as the case of the port of Aguadulce, where "... a best value tender will be held for the existing facilities and verification of the capacity for its expansion so that it can accommodate a component for agricultural bulk cargo."
The Council of International Transport Users of Guatemala has proposed that entrepreneurs participate on the boards of Castilla and Quetzal Ports and Civil Aviation.
With the goal of "transparent processes in the port areas", the Council of International Transport Users of Guatemala (Cutrigua) suggests changing the rules of the Quetzal Port Business (EMP), Escuintla, Port Santo Tomas de Castilla, Izabal (Empornac ) and the General Department of Civil Aviation, in order to include the participation of private sector as members of the boards.
The growth of the Nicaraguan economy is making clear the disadvantage of the country's current dependence on the ports of neighboring countries.
Although improvements have been made to the port infrastructure at Arlen Siu, this single terminal is not enough for a country whose economy is growing at the pace it is in Nicaragua. The idea of building a port terminal of great magnitude on the Caribbean coast is something that the private sector has been insisting on, as an imperative to reduce dependence on Costa Rican ports and through this improve their export competitiveness factor.
Now May 28th is the "confirmed" date for the submission of bids in the tender for the Central American Port of La Union.
According to the Executive Port Commission (CEPA), resolutions have been given to 63 queries put forward by four companies which have pre-qualified to participate in the tender, and because of this there will be no further changes to the date for receiving bids.
A suggestion has been made to establish flat rates abroad and attract more port services companies in order to eliminate the concentration that exists today.
From a statement issued by the Superintendency of Competition in El Salvador:
The consultant Edgardo Gamarra, a specialist in competition and in the field of maritime port services, today introduced the "Study of the Conditions of Competition in the Maritime Port Sector in El Salvador" requested by the Superintendency of Competition. The Governing Board of the institution will analyze these results and then issue a resolution with recommendations to promote competition in this sector.
From April 12nd to 15th Dutch companies in logistics, port industries, construction and maritime services be visiting to Panama to explore business opportunities.
fromA statement from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Panama:
The trade mission to Panama will take place 12 to 15 April 2015 and will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Aruba, Mike Eman.
The ports handled 3.5 million metric tonnes more than in 2013, due to an increase of 213% in the cargos of lead, nickel, zinc, iron and other minerals.
In 2014, the movement of cargo from the port of Quetzal recorded a growth rate of 11%, Las Boyas de San José, 24%, Puerto Barrios terminal reported no change and the Port of Santo Tomas de Castilla had the strongest growth, of 36%.
Shanghai Haojun Investment & Management is interested in participating in the project to build a road between Puerto Armuelles and a complementary port on the Atlantic coast.
The Chinese company Shanghai Haojun Investment & Management Co. Ltd. has expressed interest in taking part in the project which currently has a funding agreement for a technical study for the development of an intermodal canal, a multipurpose port and modernization of the infrastructure at the port in Armuelles.
FAQs on the projected construction of a container transshipment port in the area of Corozal West of the Panama Canal.
Information taken from the Panama Canal Administration:
1. What benefits will come from the construction of a new port in Corozal West?
There are several benefits:
- The port will leverage the advantages of the Canal expansion bringing in more commercial activity.
The Maritime Port Authority is planning to build two docks for the auxiliary maritime services industry, one in the province of Colon and another in that of Panama.
Taking an old aspiration of the auxiliary maritime services sector, plans are underway for construction of docks on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. This project had been previously discussed, but the areas chosed for its construction were not available at that time.
PSA Panama International Terminal has proposed extending the cargo container port operating in the western area of the capital.
Engineering and financing aspects for the work have already been approved, with only authorization from the National Assembly still pending before construction work can start, which is estimated will take about 2 years.