Mexican transportation secretary offers details of infrastructure plan

Monday, 10 June 2013 01:21:34 (GMT+3)   |  
       

Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Secretary of Communications and Transport, held a press conference last week after inaugurating the "Eleventh Latin American Infrastructure Forum" which stated that "until we have the final design ready-made, we cannot know the precise amount; therefore these can be substantially different from what we believed or thought. There will be major investments in telecommunications that need to be budgeted, but that's not so simple for obvious reasons."

He added that they have to make projections of what is expected to be invested as a result of constitutional reform in telecommunications, among other projects.

He said the US$35 billion base includes around 105 presidential commitments that have long been made, but it has to integrate to a yet undefined number of other projects proposed by various organizations during the consultation for the integration of national infrastructure.

He added that at present it is difficult to estimate funds more specifically for programs that are still in the integration process.  One project highlighted is the fast track "Mexico-Queretaro" railway which will then continue to the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the peninsula of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, which will run from Mérida to Punta Venado. It has also been approved to be routed to Cancun, one of the major tourist areas of the world, as well as other parts of the state.

Ruiz Esparza reported that among the projects covered, a new port in Veracruz, an expansion in Altamira and Guaymas, plus improvement in the port of Lázaro Cardenas, (which are not yet included in the sector program) will require resources totaling US$1 billion.

He also said he is managing the freight train dealers make significant investments in modernization and equipment of the railway network, as well as make it faster to be more competitive.