Participation in Uruguayan conference on road infrastructure

(Montevideo, November 4, 2011).- Under the auspices of CAF - Latin American development bank - and the Uruguayan Chamber of Construction, a conference on Concrete, competitiveness and efficiency for a Uruguay that grows was held in Montevideo, organized by the Concrexur concrete company and the Uruguayan ANCAP-Cementos del Plata consortium.

The speakers were Diego Sánchez Fonseca, senior specialist of CAF Sectoral Infrastructure Analysis and Programming; and David Jaramillo, technical director of Cementos Argos of Colombia. Sánchez spoke about the methods of financing available for road infrastructure development in Latin America and gave ​​a diagnosis of the road network in the region, while Jaramillo spoke on the competitiveness of concrete paving.

Sánchez said "investment efforts in infrastructure in Latin America have not been significant." In the last 20 years the region has invested less than 3% of GDP, with the exception of Chile where the figure is between 5% and 6%. The region is far from the 9% infrastructure investment of Asia. “Funds for conservation are limited and scarce, so maintenance is only done occasionally as a reaction or in an emergency, because most political interest is in building new roads."

CAF director representative in Uruguay Gladis Genua reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to Latin American integration and noted that it is the main source of finance for infrastructure in the region, with over US$30 billion invested in the last 10 years. "CAF's participation in this event is part of its policy of ongoing institutional commitment in favor of regional capacity building, transmitting its experience in the field of road infrastructure."

The event was hosted by Concrexur CEO Morgan Martinez, who stressed the "commitment to innovation" by a "purely domestic firm" which is trying to be a leader in technology and equipment" and which during its 30 years has made "an enduring commitment to the country's development through knowledge and innovation."

Also present at the meeting were the minister of Transport and Public Works, Enrique Pintado; senator and member of the Senate Public Works Committee, Rafael Michelini; Montevideo Mayor Carámbula Marcos; and the president of the Chamber of Construction, Ignacio Otegui. The event was also attended by other stakeholders in the Uruguayan road system, directors of major road projects in the country, and dignitaries from Montevideo, Maldonado and Canelones municipalities.