Peru aims to close its gap in port infrastructure by investing approximately $6 billion by 2018, the head of the National Port Authority, Frank Boyle, said.
Investments that have been committed for the construction and improvement of a number of ports would close the infrastructure gap by more than 50 percent, state news agency Andina reported Boyle as saying.
Some of the investments will be aimed at the General San Martin (Pisco) and San Juan de Marcona ports, both located in the Ica region, as well as river ports in the jungle cities of Pucallpa and Iquitos.
Boyle said that more investments could be expected after 2018.
“We can close the breach but we can’t stay still,” he said. “The countries in the region continue to make investments and we have to be up-to-date, looking for new investments and possibilities for growth.”
Investment in the port of Callao began in 2006, with a 30-year concession won by Dubai Ports World to build and operate the Muelle Sur terminal, which it brought into operation in 2010 with a first-stage investment of $300 mn. In 2011, APM Terminals of The Hague won the 30-year concession for a multipurpose North Terminal in which it is to invest a total of $748 mn in five stages.
Economists say that Peru has an infrastructure gap of approximately $30 billion. The infrastructure challenges have created bottlenecks for a number of companies and affected the competitiveness of the Peruvian economy.
I have been importing to Peru for 10 years, and it still takes days to get my products out of Port Callao. Needs to be more streamlined!