Authorities have put out to tender a pre-feasibility study to modernize the highway between Escuintla and Puerto Quetzal, by giving it to a private concessionaire.
Prensalibre.com reports that “should the project become reality, the Escuintla-Masagua-San José Port road will be toll-free, while the current route, known as CA-9 Sur A, which runs 46 km, will be turn into a toll road.
An announcement has been made in Guatemala for a housing subsidy program for public officials, and mortgage credit lines for private employees.
Prensalibre.com reports that Alejandro Sinibaldi, Minister of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV in Spanish), advertised the program, after having opened the sixth edition of the Housing Fair Expocasa, organized every year by the Guatemalan Construction Chamber (CGC).
The Government of Guatemala has announced a purchasing system with unified prices and without intervention from distributers .
In order to avoid differences in the prices paid by different state institutions "involved in the reconstruction process, both in Infrastructure as well as housing" for the required construction materials, a collaboration of manufacturers has been set up in order to get discounts of up to 40%, using direct purchases with the intervention of the usual intermediaries.
Guatemala's Congress has approved a loan of $119 million from the CABEI and another from BNDES of Brazil for $280 million, for the expansion to four lanes of the highway to the Pacific.
The Ministry of Communications will be the executor of the road project to be financed with the two loans.
The expansion to four lanes will be on the route from Cocales, Suchitepéquez, to Tecun Uman, San Marcos.
The proceeds of the issue will be used to settle obligations maintained by the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (CIV), with construction companies.
"What is still unclear is the technical procedure to register the issue in the Budget of Revenues and Expenditures of the Nation, as they are analyzing the possible impact on this year, and therefore the projected fiscal deficit for the current period", reported Siglo21.com.gt.
Some of the causes mentioned are the low implementation of works by the State and municipalities, reluctance to invest remittances and fiscal reforms that discourage investment.
An article in Prensalibre.com reports that Oscar Sequeira, president of the Statistical Commission of the Guatemalan Chamber of Construction (CGC), said "The new administration generated positive expectations which led to dynamism in the sector, but as time passed by it has gone down, especially after the tax reform."
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 poor state of rural roads in Guatemala are harming producers, traders and passengers, meanwhile authorities are failing to address the problem.
“Last winter there were numerous landslides and erosions on routes used to transport goods and passengers in rural Guatemala. The affected routes are mainly in Granados, Cubulco, Rabinal, San Miguel and Purulhá Chicaj, " informed PrensaLibre.com.
Irregularities in recruitment have led to the cancellation of 42 construction contracts that have already been awarded which total $192 million.
The new Minster of Housing, Alejandro Sinibalidi, referred at a press conference to the prevailing administrative disorder and lack of control of debt.
The new authorities will evaluate each of the works to revive the reconstruction plan.
The company will be responsible for overseeing the infrastructure which make up the Plan for Reconstruction.
Novotecni will be responsible for oversight of design, reconstruction of roads, building bridges and dredging of rivers by companies contracted by the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing.
The methodology used is the contractor submitting the project to the Ministry, this entity together with Novotecni analyzes it, and they will either approve or disapprove the construction, based on parameters from the "Blue Book" (building regulations applied in Guatemala) and international guidelines.
The highway project will interconnect several regions of the country with the capital and aims to make them more competitive.
The $37 million construction will enable rural Guatemala to better compete by providing roads capable of serving demand created and will benefit 6.6 million people.
The 419.5 km highway network will be used to transport agricultural produce, manufactured products and livestock, particularly from growing regions to the consumer centers in the west and middle of the country.
The government plans to invest $70 million to build the project known as “Ciudad de la Esperanza” (City of Hope).
In order to begin, the Housing and Infrastructure Ministry is waiting for Congress to pass bill 4114.
“This bill … is in its third discussion at the Legislative. It modifies article 19 of the Housing and Human Settlements Law, transforming the Guatemalan Housing Fund (Foguavi), into a ‘second tier back focused on granting direct subsidies and easing credit for Guatemalan families in need of adequate housing solutions”, reported Elperiodico.com.gt.
2 mega projects were announced by the Government in alliance with private companies.
The first one will require an investment of $200 million and will be located in Bárcenas. It will comprise 5.000 apartments, a shopping mall, market, sports complex and office space.
On the second mega project, Alfredo Barrios, Housing vice minister, explained: "...