IRF cooperation agreement with Columbia

The IRF Washington Program Center (IRF WPC) and the Colombian Chamber of Infrastructure (CCI) have announced their intent to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate on technology transfer, training and dissemination of best-practices in Colombia

According to 2462 IRF WPC Chairman Brian Harris, the MOU represents an important step in IRF's policy of expanding activities in Latin America, in keeping with its mission to encourage and promote development and maintenance of better, safer and more sustainable roads and road networks worldwide.

IRF greatly values the strategic relationship with CCI, because it is the largest, most important and active infrastructure industry group in Colombia - a nation that is in the process of upgrading and expanding its road infrastructure at a rapid pace, with investments valued in the billions of US dollars over the next 5 years.

According to Juan Martin Caicedo Ferrer, Executive President of CCI, the Colombian government is making up for low levels of financing in this sector over the last 10 years, by doubling investment (from under 1% of average GDP previously, to about 2%).

The 2505 National Institute of Concessions (INCO) reported that Colombia had 910km of major divided-lane highways as of the second quarter of 2010. By 2017, the 2506 National Planning Department (DNP) projects 2,651km of major highways. Recently, two major road concession projects were granted: the Ruta del Sol Highway Corridor, linking the Caribbean coast with the interior of Colombia, and the Túnel de la Línea, which will expedite movement of raw materials to production centres and export hubs, connecting the centre of the country to the Pacific. Future plans include the development of a multimodal system to lower freight costs and enable the growth of new mining and oil production projects.

CCI's mission in Colombia parallels that of IRF worldwide. As a non-profit industry group, the Chamber has promoted socio-economic development and upheld ethical principles and transparency in procurement policies associated with critical infrastructure projects.

Mr Caicedo has issued an invitation to IRF members and road sector organisations throughout the world to participate in the development of infrastructure in Colombia.

Two early, and ideal, opportunities in this respect will be the IRF Latin America Regional Congress in Bogota (8-9 November, 2010), and the Seventh National Congress of Infrastructure (24-26 November, 2010), which will be organised by CCI in Cartagena, a beautiful city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. This Congress will notably include a unique business matchmaking session.