The Special Commission on Infrastructure of the Costa Rican Assembly endorsed the bill that seeks to regulate the schemes for the development of public-private partnership projects.
The initiative, which has yet to go beyond the debate in the Legislative Plenary, establishes the processes and modalities for promoting private investment for the development of public infrastructure, public services and services related to these, applied research projects and/or technological innovation.
After the Guatemalan Congress voted against the bill granting the concession to rehabilitate and operate the Escuintla-Puerto Quetzal highway, the winning company asks to return the process to third reading, but some deputies refuse.
For the Guatemalan business sector, the decision by Congress to vote against the bill granting the concession to rehabilitate and operate the Escuintla-Puerto Quetzal highway "sends a negative message to potential investors."
The first positions emerge after learning that the Congress of the Republic buried the road project to rehabilitate and administer the highway Escuintla-Puerto Quetzal with toll collection, which would be granted in concession to the Consorcio Autopistas de Guatemala, under the format of Public-Private Partnership.
After passing the three debates in the National Assembly, President Cortizo sanctioned the law creating the Public-Private Association regime in Panama.
According to the Law that came into the hands of the Executive, companies that are delinquent in the payment of fines for breach of contracts, will have limitations to participate in these public concession model.
In Panama, in the third debate, the bill creating the Public-Private Association regime was approved, which in its latest version set limitations on companies accused of acts of corruption.
According to the text approved and awaiting the approval of the Executive, companies that are delinquent in the payment of fines for breach of contracts, will also have limitations to participate in these public concession model.
The removal of the disqualification from hiring natural and legal persons who have been sentenced for corruption is one of the most important changes made to the bill that creates the Public-Private Partnership Regime.
After the workers and union sectors rejected the bill creating the Public-Private Partnership Regime in Panama, the Assembly decided to suspend its discussion in the second debate.
Responding to the request to extend the period of consultations by a sector of the country, the plenary of the National Assembly suspended discussion of the second debate of Bill 12, which creates the Private Public Association Regime (APP) as a tool for the development of private sector investment, social and job creation, reported the government on August 27, 2019.
The National Assembly of Panama approved in first debate the bill establishing the Public-Private Partnership Regime.
On August 19, the Economy and Finance Commission approved in the first debate the project that seeks to regulate the contracts, generally long term, between the public and private sectors for the design, construction, repair, expansion, financing, operation, maintenance, administration and/or supply of projects and services such as roads, energy, telecommunications, public transportation, ports and water treatment, among others.
For Panama's business sector, public-private partnerships are contracts that, if properly implemented, could promote the dynamism of the economy and at the same time diminish the fiscal pressure on the State budget.
The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama has promoted since the beginning of the current government administration, a draft bill that creates the Public-Private Partnership Regime (PPP), given that this document would promote the development of the country, explained the business guild through a statement.
The decision of the Legislative Assembly to not endorse the bill that seeks to approve the contract between the government and Minera Panamá, shows the fragility of the contracts between the Panamanian state and companies.
The obstacles to the mining project date back several years, since the legal dispute began in 2009, when the Environmental Impact Center (CIAM) filed an appeal of unconstitutionality against the contract granting a 20-year concession to exploit and commercialize the gold, copper and other mineral resources of Cerro Petaquilla.
Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica are the countries in the region with the best conditions to develop Public-Private Partnerships, followed by Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
The 2019 Infrascope index, which evaluates 23 indicators and 78 qualitative and quantitative sub-indicators in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Latin America, is prepared by The Economist Intelligence Unit and has the financial backing of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
With the condition that there be an incentive law for investment in tourism infrastructure, a Dominican entrepreneur could be interested in investing in the Mundo Maya airport.
The entrepreneur from the tourism industry and founder of the Punta Cana group, Frank Rainieri, visited several Guatemalan tourist sites with the intention of identifying investment opportunities, finally showing interest in a possible concession of the aerodrome located in the municipality of Flores, Petén.
A conflict of interest between the two ports has been revealed following a demand for the concession of the Puerto de La Union to include the Port of Acajutla.
The failure of the Puerto de La Union - the concession for which no longer even has any suitors - has a basic cause: neither today- nor in the medium term- is there enough maritime traffic for both terminals to have enough work.
In Costa Rica growth in the port's productivity since it was granted in concession to private companies is in sharp contrast to the general stagnation of state-owned enterprises.
From 2013 to 2015, average productivity of ships in Caldera grew by 53.8%, while waiting times were reduced by 87% (gong from 160 hours to 20 hours) for bulk carriers and 50% (from 26 to 13 hours) for containerships.
The Nicaraguan Oil Company has signed a cooperation agreement with a Canadian company for exploration of oil and gas.
Following the agreement signed between the company EastSiberian Plc, belonging to TMX Group in Canada and the National Oil Company of Nicaragua (Petronic) the Ministry of Energy and Mines has been approached in order to start negotiations for the subsequent signing of concession contracts.