Adverse court decisions against companies, social and political conflicts and fiscal issues are some of the factors that are impeding the development of productive projects in Central American countries.
One of the latest court decisions affecting companies with investments in the region was that of Minera Petaquilla, in Panama. The contract that this company had signed with the Panamanian State was declared unconstitutional last week.
Until 2023 renewable energy projects in Nicaragua may opt for the exemption of import duty on machinery and equipment, VAT, income tax and municipal taxes.
The National Assembly approved a reform proposed by the Ortega administration to extend the term of tax benefits for energy generation projects with renewable sources.The law established that the maximum period to opt for exemptions was January 2018, but now they will remain in place until January 2023.
The procedures required for making investments of over $500,000 outside of Managua can now be made through a single window that includes all entities.
The Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) has announced that the window is already operating in Managua, and will allow companies to make investments in the departments in the interior of the country, centralizing all of their paperwork in one place, without having to manage multiple processes in different institutions.
In the next five years the government expects to attract new private investment to add to the 1300 MW of renewable energy projects in the energy matrix.
Currently, 80% of power generation plants operating in the country are privately owned, and the Ortega administration has announced that it will continue to offer attractive terms to encourage the arrival of new private investment into the energy sector.The 2017-2030 plan envisages the incorporation of 1300 MW into the energy matrix,"... '(projects) that are open to all national and foreign investors who are participating.'"
Gator Partners has obtained a provisional license to build in Bahia Las Minas, Panama, a power plant with a capacity of 400MW, based on ethane.
Gator Partners is planning to build and operate a power plant called "Térmica Energía Corotú" which will operate using ethane gas with a combined cycle plant with a capacity of 400MW.
The project sponsor, Gator Partners LataAm SA is a public limited company established in the Township of Panama City and was registered on November 11, 2014, with the Folio No. 155 585 316. The legal representative is a Panamanian, Oguel Alejandro Suero.
Electricity substations, a municipal stadium, a hydroelectric project, residential projects and dredging of rivers, are among the projects which presented environmental impact studies in February in Guatemala.
The report "Construction Projects in Guatemala - February 2015", prepared by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData.COM, provides a list of major construction projects which in the month of February presented environmental impact assessments (EIA) to the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala (MARN).
Malls, residential projects, sewage works and power plants are part of the list of environmental impact studies presented in February in Panama.
The report "Construction Projects in Panama - February 2015", prepared by the Business Intelligence Unit of CentralAmericaData.COM, provides a list of major construction projects which in the month of January presented environmental impact studies (EIS) to the National Environmental Authority (ANAM).
VECA Airlines has announced the start of flights from El Salvador to Guatemala and Costa Rica, with capital contributed by Empresas Alba.
$60 million is the amount that Empresas Alba has contributed as seed money to VECA Airlines, and it is expected that this will cover the operation of the company until December this year. It is expected that next year the investment will be lower, as the airline is aiming for financial self-sustainability by 2016.
Together with two Korean companies a Master Road Plan for the country is being developed which foresees the construction and renovation of 4,500 kilometers of roads in the next twenty years.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI):
The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) with the support of the Republic of Korea, has delivered the results of the final report of the Master Plan for the Road Network in Nicaragua.
The concessionaire B2Gold expects to invest $44 million this year in the La Libertad, Santo Domingo and El Limón mines, while HEMCO SA plans to spend $14 million on the operation of the Bonanza mine.
During the period 2013-2014 B2Gold extracted 197,808 ounces from El Limon and La Libertad mines, while HEMCO achieved a total production of 113,770 ounces.
The Costa Rican company has announced it will be opening five stores in Guayaquil airport and has signed contracts to operate at air terminals in Guatemala City and Montevideo and Punta del Este in Uruguay.
For the expansion of its operations, Grupo Britt has invested about $5 million, which will come from both equity and bank financing. Including these projects, there will be 13 countries where the company operates.
Representatives from the government of Kuwait announced the opening of an embassy in the country and their interest in participating in investment projects, including the construction of a hospital.
Jamal Al-Omar Hsein, president of the "Fourth Parliamentary Group" in Kuwait has met with the government and the National Assembly of Nicaragua, and said "....
Greater integration between the State and the business sector is essential to exploit the opportunities offered by the region's investment projects.
During the World Business Forum Latin America 2014, held in Guatemala, entrepreneurs from different sectors pointed to the need for increased connectivity and commercial traffic between South America and Central America, in order to take better advantage of investment opportunities in each of the countries, through the use of public-private partnerships.
Potential investments in land next to a route that has still not been defined will not be realized until there is certainty about what will happen to those properties.
From a statement issued by the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic and Social Development:
If built, the Interoceanic Canal would have impacts on the national economy which are difficult to pin down because of the magnitude of the project and the limited information available.
The World Bank points to macroeconomic stability and the energy matrix, as factors that make investment in the country attractive.
The managing director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Bank (WB), Sri Mulyani Indrawati pointed to Nicaragua as the Latin American country with the "healthiest portfolio of projects," pointing to the $700 million which has been awarded in loans.