A value of more than $5 billion has been given to the investment projects that the Ortega administration intends to carry out through public, private and investment partnership deals.
Among the projects proposed by the Nicaraguan government and open to funding proposals are:
The Morales administration aims to promote economic activity through increased use of joint investments, especially in tourism and infrastructure.
From a statement issued by the President of Guatemala:
Some of the objectives of the plan are to promote employment mainly for young people, fight poverty, promote micro, small and medium enterprises and development of an inclusive and sustainable economy.
Private sector operators see in the Law of Public-Private Partnerships serious deficiencies which would prevent the bill from obtaining the desired results.
"The law, as it has been approved, will not achieve the expected results, we believe that it is not a good law, it has serious deficiencies that will make it very difficult to obtain the expected results," said Javier Castro, director of Department of Legal Studies (DEL) of the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUSADES).
Salvadoran Congress has passed a law that will allow public institutions to form partnerships with private companies for infrastructure and public services projects.
From a press release issued by the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador:
In order to establish the regulatory framework for the development of projects for the provision of infrastructure and public services of general interest effectively and efficiently, the Legislative Assembly in Plenary approved with 84 votes in favor, the "Special Law on Public Private Partnerships"(PPP).
Airports, power plants, water and sewerage and port terminals are part of the public works under concession in Honduras.
Since the establishment, two years ago, of the Investment Facility under the scheme of the Commission for the Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships (COALIANZA) there have been four infrastructure projects concessioned totaling $869 million.
In Costa Rica there is no good track record in this matter, but with reviewed rules and better preliminary studies, they still may be the solution to the country's infrastructure problems.
The latest episode was the crater which suddenly opened up on the country’s main highway. Almost every day there is a news story about the poor state of infrastructure in Costa Rica.
President Martinelli has announced that bill no. 349, that would set up a framework for enabling public-private partnerships (PPPs), will be sent back for further discussion.
The announcement was viewed positively by hospital leaders who stopped work on 20 October in protest at the proposed law.
Panama's medical associations oppose the bill, saying that its effect will be to privatize the country's health services, since the proposal includes, "concessions for hospitals to be built, as well as roads, ports and drinking and waste water management systems".
In Panama, medical professionals, who have now been on strike for a week, have opposed the project, forcing the legislative process to be suspended, until a consensus can be reached.
The main concept of the bill is that, in contrast to the traditional scheme, where companies are simply contracted by the State for the construction or development of public works, under the adoption of the PPP regime, the private sector would play a greater role in projects, funding the work and then receiving payment for the provision of services, on long-term contracts.