Progress in public-private partnership is evaluated

In order to review the progress of Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Héctor Alexander, Director of the World Bank (WB) for Central America and the Dominican Republic, Michel Kerf and Saleh Asvat, National Secretary Public-private associations (APP) They held a working meeting with their work teams.

The National Secretariat of Public-Private Associations (SNAPP) records three projects with significant progress under this modality and another five in the initial stages, with an investment of up to 3 billion dollars in the coming years, explained Eder Córdoba, Director of Public Finance of the MEF.

Córdoba added that they are looking for options that allow banks and project bidders to feel safe, comfortable and confident in the payment process state.

The Via Panamericana Este It is the project that is making the most progress, “the feasibility phase has already been approved and is in the tendering and approval phase, there are 14 interested proponents, these are investors who look at Panama with good eyes and want to invest in Panama,” the Director of Public Financing pointed out.

Michel Kerf, director World Bank for Central America and the Dominican Republicin the company of his working team, he stated that they are studying potential investment operations in order to ensure and comply with protective rules to strengthen the capacity of the relevant ministries to be able to carry out these operations.

“We granted Panama a loan of 7.5 million dollars to be able to provide this technical assistance in the preparation of projects, and there is also the possibility, if necessary, of using an additional instrument BM which is a guarantee, to confirm government payment to operators,” Kerf said.

He The director of the World Bank emphasized the work of Panama in implementation APP mode from 2019, when Law 93 on public-private associations was approved. The MEF has prepared organizational structures, manuals on procedures, regulatory norms that enable coordination and traceability and the implementation of everything that PPP approval processes represent.

The meeting was also attended by the deputy ministers, Mr Economics Enelda Medrano de González and the technical teams of the World Bank, MEF and SNAPP.