Following the disasters caused by the eruptions of the Fuego Volcano in Guatemala, $26 million has been granted to five companies to reconstruct the affected road stretches.
Due to the state of Calamity decreed after the natural disaster, the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV) awarded emergency contracts to five companies that will be in charge of repairing the affected sections of National Route 14.
Consorcio La Antigua has been awarded a contract for the restoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Panama City.
The consortium will be responsible for the work from November, when the order to proceed is given by the National Institute of Culture, which is made up of the companies Condisa, Construcciones Zubillaga SA and Ortiz Construcciones.
After being suspended a few days ago, it has been announced that new tender documents for the $11 million tender to restore the Metropolitan Cathedral are ready and will be published shortly.
Authorities from the Committee of Churches in the Old Town announced that corrections have now been made to the specifications for tender, which aims to restore the building.
The $11 million tender to restore the Metropolitan Cathedral has been temporarily suspended and it was announced that new specifications will be published in mid-April.
The chairman of the Committee on Churches in the Old Town, Ricardo Gago, said changes and corrections will be made to some legal aspects of the specification of the tender for the restoration of the Cathedral.
While in the US the number of man hours needed to build a house is 9.4 hours per square meter, in Costa Rica it takes between 40 and 60.
Low labor productivity, on top of the cost of building materials, social charges and high costs of other materials such as energy, are preventing firms from being more competitive in an industry where both end house prices for completed works and gray works, exceed those in neighboring countries.
Domestic and foreign companies took part in the first call for the restoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral, valued at $11 million.
The Committee of Churches in the Old Town and the National Institute of Culture disclosed that 20 companies took part in a tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral to see first hand what is needed for its restoration. It is expected that the work will be completed within a maximum of 22 months.
The government of Panama has announced that it will be putting out to tender the restoration and renovation of the Metropolitan Cathedral, in the old town.
From a statement issued by the Government of Panama:
The Metropolitan Cathedral, the historic and representative building in the Old Town will be restored in 2015 announced the President, Juan Carlos Varela Rodríguez.
Between January and November 30th tax breaks for private investment projects were approved as well as 9 public ones, estimated at $95.7 million, up 125% compared to the same period in 2013.
Added to the approval for incentives for investments worth $95.7 million are more supplies for tourism, including 12 hotels, adding 283 new rooms. It is expected that by the end of 2014 incentives for investment in tourism will reach $100 million.
Two new boarding gates and one thousand square meters of commercial areas are to be built with an investment of $20 million at the main airport in Costa Rica.
3000 meters of construction will be added to the fourth stage of the airport that consists of "... In two boarding gates with their respective connecting sleeves which will be located east of the main building." While the second part of the project involves the construction of 1,000 meters dedicated to commercial areas.
The Guatemalan sugar industry has proposed the government to co-invest in the expansion of terminal facilities in order to increase capacity and make it more competitive.
In an attempt to improve the conditions of the port terminal and restore the competitiveness of Guatemalan exports, the guild of sugar millers is willing to invest in the expansion of Port Quetzal.
The government has reported that new buildings and parking lots will be constructed at the office of El Amatillo, in the department of Valle as well as reconstruction of the customs office of Agua Caliente in Ocotepeque.
From a statement issued by the Executive Directorate of Revenue (DEI):
Tegucigalpa, October 2. Authorities from the Executive Revenue (DEI) announced today through a press conference the building of El Amatillo custom office in the department of Valle and reconstruction of the Agua Caliente Customs Office in Ocotepeque, both projects are being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and a national counterpart.
Despite high interest rates and the high cost of building materials, great opportunities lie ahead for Panama's construction industry.
Construction has been one of the engines driving economic growth in Panama. New residential neighborhoods, buildings, logistics parks and shopping centers, as well as major works such as Metro Line 1 and the Canal expansion are the projects currently being built in a country which many see as one of the most dynamic centers the region.