“Colombia’s peace comes from roads, homes, water and investment in agriculture”

Colombia’s recent infrastructure development, valued in 42 billion pesos, is a pillar for the future of both competitiveness and peace in the country, as assured by the nation’s vice-president, Germán Vargas Lleras, to an audience of businessmen from the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce during its 60th annual assembly, celebrated on March 19th.

“Colombia’s peace comes from roads, homes, drinking water and investment in agriculture”, said Vargas Lleras, whom announced the opening of the tenth tendering process of the Santos’ government infrastructure plan. The politician assured “there is a third wave of projects coming, which we will start carrying out in May to open nine additional projects in order to complete the private APPs (Public-Private Alliances) program”.

The vice-president added that the noteworthy progress of infrastructure projects in the country is due to the historic levels of investment the national government has made and to the setting of distinct ground rules to execute them by. Advancing substantially on the matter is a critical necessity for the nation’s competitiveness; according to Vargas Lleras, today Colombia holds a dubious 22nd place among Latin American countries in terms of infrastructure competitiveness.

That is why, for the Executive Director of the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce, Camilo Reyes Rodríguez, “this is a crucial time for the development of infrastructure in Colombia. A significant leap in road networks will represent an invaluable tool for commerce facilitation and, consequentially, for the improvement of the country’s performance as an actor in world trade”.

The United States Ambassador, Kevin Whitaker, said the implementation of infrastructure work in Colombia is undoubtedly a project that will benefit the commercial dynamic of the country, which already is “a market of remarkable growth”.