In order to make local investment become firm and for foreign investment to arrive, the prerequisite is legal certainty.
From an article in the Business and Industry Magazine by the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala:
Fernando Lopez, vice president of the Chamber of Industry of Guatemala (CIG), recognizes that while the country's economic growth is less than three percent per year, it is insufficient for the development that the country needs, because the population is increasing at the same rate. Guatemala requires sustainable growth levels of at least six percent. How?, simply with investment, the entrepreneur responds. In order for local and foreign investment to arrive, the indispensable prerequisite is "legal certainty". He also added that the CIG ‘s proposal includes the axes of long term work to be done.
The Brazilian construction company Andrade Gutierrez has retired from the Monkey Point project, and the government of Nicaragua recognizes that "it is not easy to make it happen."
An article in Prensa.com.ni reports that "The prefeasibility and feasibility studies made by Andrade Gutierrez have revealed that the construction cost per kilometer of the port would be about two million dollars, according to information provided to the press.
The Honduran Foreign Secretary, within the Program for Support and Investment of Promotion, is putting out to tender prefeasibility studies for three tourism projects.
The tourism projects for which the studies are required are:
Project "TUR 202: construction of SAVE Center in La Ceiba, Atlantida"
The project located in the Municipality of Ceiba, Atlantida Department, is for the creation of a center containing facilities that aid the development of scientific, academic, educational and volunteer work in the Pico Bonito National Park.
Investment projects will be selected at the coastal area, and will be financed with $300 million from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the government.
After the stage of territorial consultations, the phase for consultation with interested investors will begin for submission of investment projects to be developed in the coastal zone. The government's goal is to present in September the overall development plan to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), said Alexander Segovia technical secretary of the presidency.
Based on the country's prospected oil potential, Ivanhoe Energy and Cobán Oil & Gas are proposing to invest $250 million.
Both companies signed a letter of intent for joint investments of $250 million and reported that they expect to finish the process in 30 months, sign an investment agreement, and then start building the plant.
"Petén north and Petén south have great potential, where we recorded 120 million proven barrels" of oil, said Evanan Romero, representative of Coban Oil. He also suggested creating a national company to avoid the "ordeal" involving the procurement and legal processes, reported Prensalibre.com.
The investment agency is trying to persuade Japanese corporations to establish sites in Panama, having already convinced the company Tadano, manufacturer of hydraulic cranes.
Last November, the Bureau of Investment Attraction and Export Promotion in Panama (PROINVEX) moved the conference "Invest Panama" to Tokyo, in order to turn the attention of Japanese corporations towards the country.
Panama is a primary destination in the investment plans involving Latin America energy projects for the company Celsia, formerly known as Colinversiones.
Celsia has 800,000 million pesos ($ 450.57 million) available for new investments and about $200 million in assets that could be sold if necessary, said company president, Juan Guillermo Londoño.
The company Celsia (formerly Colinversiones), is examining becoming involved with four power generation projects in countries like Peru, Chile and Panama, among other markets in the region, reported Portafolio.com.
When construction began in 2008, eastern El Salvador was filled with hope and investment projects, which are now frustrated by a port that does not work.
The port terminal, built at a cost of $200 million and opened in 2010, to date has little maritime activity.
Business groups have spent a lot of money in the business of transporting containers and goods, hotels to accommodate the waves of foreign tourists expected, and there were those who spent large sums on land, warehouses and other buildings. Instead of increasing fortunes, what local investors have experienced is frustration and disappointment. Along with sums contributed by the private sector, are the substantial funds spent by the State which do not helped much either.
The IDB, CABEI, and the World Bank top the list of the seven financial institutions that together have pledged a total of $3.189 billion in loans for the development of public works.
The amount still available in the Honduran loan portfolio for external funding is $1.254 billion. The total amount of loans approved is $3.189 billion.
"From January 1st to February 17th, 2012, disbursements amounted to $45.7 million", reports Elheraldo.hn.
The Nicaraguan Government wants to attract Russian interest in production, tourism, education projects and intends to sign cooperation agreements.
Nicaragua wants to attract Russian investments through productive projects, investment protection, education and cooperation worth a total of $600 million, the government said.
"The Nicaraguan Minister of Development, Industry and Trade (Mific), Orlando Solorzano, who heads a large delegation from the Government of Managua will travel to Russia on Monday (January 23rd ), according to the Sandinista station ‘Radio Ya’ taking to Moscow 'a series of projects' worth some 600 million dollars, which, if approved, would begin to unfold over the next two years. The projects to be offered to Russia are in the productive, agricultural, cultural, educational, fishing, and tourism sectors, among others, the official said, " in the online edition of El Nuevo Diario.
The Panamanian government will announce in the coming weeks a tender for several tourist developments in the area.
The executive secretary of the Management Unit for Reverted Property (UABR in Spanish), Juan Carlos Orillac said they have already completed a development plan for the area prepared by the Spanish consulting firm C4T .
"The exploitation of the beautiful beaches of Sherman offers the industry, the chance to construct of six ecotourism hotels, yacht marinas, cultural centers, eight housing cores and recreation centers.
A group of investors are interested in building an $8 billion refinery in the Baru area.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Ricardo Quijano, said that a memorandum of understanding, outlining the projects details, would be signed off in the next few weeks.
The proposed refinery would be capable of processing about 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily, and would be accompanied by a logistics center and a tourist resort.
Balboa Bank & Trust, will support the Micos Beach & Golf Resort tourism project providing a loan for $2.5 million.
Diana Villeda, chief financial officer of Tela Bay Tourist Development (DTBT in Spanish) announced that an amendment will be made to the syndicated loan agreement, integrating this contribution and bringing the total credit to $26 million.
Within the Ministry of Agriculture’s investment plans for 2012 is the construction of an irrigation system in the Tonosí Valley.
$32 million have been earmarked for this project in the province of Los Santos and the preparations at the sterile fly production plant in Pacora, while the 2012 budget has increased by 35% compared to 2011.
According to an article in Prensa.com, "However, despite the increased funding, producers are skeptical about its use, because most of the projects planned in the past have ended up only existing on paper.
The government of El Salvador has executed only 25% of the public investment it had planned for 2011.
Public institutions projected works for the year 2011 totalling $1,146 million in social investment programs, municipal investments, and works arising from the effects of Hurricane Ida which hit the country in 2009.
As of June, only $276 million have been put to use, reveals the "Report on budget execution to June 30, 2011," which was presented to ministers by the Analysis and Budget Monitoring Unit (UASP in Spanish) of the Legislative Assembly.