Mexico City /
The companies construction companies are ready to participate in the system rehabilitation and expansion program railway of the new government to increase the country’s competitiveness, said the president of the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC), Luis Méndez Jaled.
In interview with MILLENNIUM stated that they will ask the federal government to allow the growing participation of private companies through co-investment schemes, concessions and splits under clearer regulations and strict accountability.
“Carry out the infrastructure plan and new railway routes announced by the president at a good pace.” Claudia Sheinbaum will require at least 2 billion pesos (bdp) which is almost four times what is invested per year and hence the importance of looking for new public-private partnership schemes in the face of what will surely be a 2025 expenditure budget that is very compromised by the cost of debt, social programs and reduction of the fiscal deficit,” he said.
He specified that the construction partners, in coordination with the Mexican Railway Association (AMF)they already do diagnoses of the three routes proposed for passengers whose great impact will also be felt in cargo transportation because they are double-track routes.
“Without a doubt, the regional impact will be huge due to the economic activity that it will generate and will at the same time allow our sector to recover growth rates of between 3 and 4 percent annually, unlike this year when it will only be one percent,” he explained.
Méndez Khaled specified that although the concessionaires of railway routes made large investments, the country presents a very low railway density compared to other developing countries.
“We have around 27 thousand kilometers of railway tracks where only 130 million tons of cargo are moved annually, compared to 300 million in the port system and 600 million tons on roads, which undoubtedly reduces our competitiveness in mobility, which is a key point for the attraction to continue at a good pace. of capital due to the relocation of companies,” he said.
The president of CMIC explained that the mobility studies available at the moment indicate that at distances of more than 500 kilometers to move cargo, the railway can give a productivity of more than 28 percent in time and cost.
“And when it exceeds a thousand kilometers the percentage exceeds 40 percent, which explains the push that many countries are making for this safer, more economical and effective transportation system,” he said.
Proposals
He stated that to carry out the Infrastructure Plan of this federal administration regarding railway routes, highways, ports, airports, industrial parks, water system, energy and housing constructionpresented a plan of 650 needs that involves the participation of the 44 delegations they have in the country, willing to contribute their knowledge and seek new forms of co-investment or public-private associations under regulations that promote equity, transparency and accountability .
“We are open to all projects submitted participation proposals because in the face of the great challenges in infrastructure, the sole participation of resources from the federal government will be insufficient,” he remarked.
He mentioned that to contribute more to the diagnosis in the construction of railway routes they push in the Construction Technological Institute (ITC)the master’s degree in design, financing and maintenance of low, medium and high speed roads and there are already professionals specialized in the subject.
“We already had on our radar the importance of having a broader and more efficient railway system and we are willing to share knowledge and participate in projects with military engineers in terms of equity and absolute transparency,” said Luis Méndez Khaled.
Also roads
The president of the CMIC also highlighted the importance in maintenance and renovation of more than 4 thousand kilometers of federal highways in which a investment of more than 140 billion pesos and the housing construction program of more than one million in the six-year period that begins, which will trigger the participation of the construction sector to achieve a 7 percent share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to 5.5 percent this year.
“In terms of roads, the situation is very precarious, two out of every three kilometers are in poor condition because only around 4 billion pesos were invested per year compared to more than 10 billion in other administrations. And in relation to popular housing, the deficit exceeds nine million since only between 200 thousand to 300 thousand were built annually, so in these areas, in addition to the railways, there are many things to propose and carry out,” he said. .
Méndez Khaled announced that they have already presented the Infonavit proposals of trusts to promote the construction of popular housing and other housing through rents that allow better access to purchases, which will benefit thousands of Mexicans and the revival of the sector that has an impact on three of the four economic branches and on which more than 5 million depend of jobs.
E.R.
