INFRASTRUCTURE

A bridge to the future

The building sector, infrastructure and industry is of vital importance in a developing country such as the Republic of El Salvador, is the rock on which will be sustained the future economic development. In that sense we highlight two of the most important projects to be undertaken such as the Port, which under the Government’s vision, want to create a center for sustainable development in the area of influence of the Port. The other major project is the Airport. With the modernization of the Bishop El Salvador International Airport, with investments of over USD 500 million projected until 2024. Another major pillars of the economy is the construction sector which contributes between 40% and 43% of national investment, this is a key sector for the economy by providing investment especially when public policies exist. Excessive bureaucracy, which is expected to decrease with the implementation of the Act for Streamlining Permits and Building Construction allowing potentiate the ability to energize. The government has committed an investment of USD 1.5 billion thanks to the “simplification of procedures” agreed with the business people. This agreement will involve the creation of 90,000 direct employees. And the construction sector will have a new position in relation to GDP will be 4.5%. In order to organize the infrastructure sector we have the Ministry of Public Works, who within its organization has three deputy ministers; Transportation including air transportation, land and maritime transport; Housing and Urban Development and Public Works, Minister of Public Works, Transportation and Housing Gerson Martinez, tells us about the vision of El Salvador and its projection:“El Salvador has been for a long time one of the most open economies in Latin America and it still is. The country has a consensus, has unanimously, have predictability in that matter. We had right-wing governments which kept an open economy and we are the second left-wing government that maintains the same direction. The country grows slowly, has to take a turn in the productivity of all factors, the productivity of capital, labor and public administration. This is the center of the economic effort of this government.“

El Salvador has one of the best infrastructures compared to other countries of Central America. Its geographical location (close to the US) seeks to capitalize on its strength as a logistics hub, through trade liberalization, maritime connectivity, tax incentives and excellent air and road connectivity.

The country is developing its logistical capabilities and seeking to attract investments focused on improving efficiency in the charge distribution via various infrastructures (container terminal, modernization of airports) and operations (modes of transport and equipment) .The Salvadoran government is raising you have to build unique customs, unique steps, to separate flows of export import to thereby gain agility and what once took 7-8 hours can be made in 30 minutes. The speed in customs procedures is vital for the area, as it is to speed up the knots in metropolitan cities, also problem of regional nature and that increases logistics costs and therefore away from the area as necessary competitiveness. As for the corruption in public works, once institutionalized, this ministry is strongly committed to promoting full transparency in their speeches, asking to create a Transparency International National observatory Of Public Works:

“We want to leave a legacy simplification of bureaucratic procedures to expedite private investment and the Ministry introduced a law to simplify procedures. We want the paperwork to be friendly to private investment.” Concludes the Minister Gerson Martinez.