Plans for the construction of the airport of Puerto de San José, Escuintla, are ready, and a partnership with the private sector is being sought to provide the finance of $140 million required for the project.
The aim of the construction of this airport is to relieve pressure on the air traffic in the terminal of La Aurora. Due to the fact that the necessary funds have not been obtained, the state is aiming to complete the project via a public-private partnership model.
The Guatemala Ministry of Communications is studying roadways in order to determine the suitability of a public-private partnership tender.
The project covers approximately 12 kilometers and includes the construction of two bridges. The works will start at kilometer 62 of the Inter-American Highway to San Andres Itzapa, which will connect up with route CA-11 and then at kilometer 49 to San Miguel Morazán.
A regional airport, a highway on the Pacific, and other road projects would be feasible within the framework of the Law of Partnerships for Economic Infrastructure Development.
Of the most ambitious projects planned is the construction of a four lane road along the Guatemalan Pacific coastline, which includes the construction of two bridges. Another project is the construction of alternate routes to expedite traffic in different sections of the province, which include Chimaltenango, San Sebastian and Cuyotenango, Suchitepéquez, and San Bernardino, Retalhuleu
The country's council for development partnerships (Conadie) will be responsible for approving investment and infrastructure projects to be carried out jointly by the government and private sector.
The Ley de Alianzas ("Public Partnerships") law will make it possible for the government to invest jointly with private companies in projects to build roads, shipping terminals, airports, power grid improvements and railways, for example.
The new law, which should boost economic growth, will come into effect next year.
The President of the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (Cacif), Carlos Amador, said he hopes the new law will boost the Infrastructure Strategic Plan.
Sigloxxi.com reports, "The Director of Competitiveness Agexport, Fanny D.
Enlarging Port Quetzal is the largest project in a list of initiatives that will be developed using the recent Law for Development Alliances (“Ley de Alianzas para el Desarrollo”).
Passed on April 13, this law allows the state to entrust private operators with executing and administering large infrastructure projects. The State provides a regulatory framework and controls the execution of the project.
A recently passed law allows the government to declare that an infrastructure project is of ‘public interest’, making it easier to expropriate the required properties.
The Bill of Alliances for Economic Infrastructure Development (APD) created a new institution called the National Agency for Alliances in Economic Infrastructure Development (ANADIE). This entity will maintain a public registry of all the projects and will be responsible for declaring public interest, collective utility or social benefit when conducting an expropriation.
The Law of Alliances for Development would allow delegating the execution and administration of mega projects to private companies.
The objective, according to documents, is to allow the private sector to build and manage services that are traditionally handled by the public sector, such as the construction of highways, airports, ports, and other infrastructure.