…says will assist in structuring logistics projects across road, rail, water and air transport
(Kaieteur News) – Brazilian state-owned infrastructure company Infra S.A. is proposing to help Guyana identify transport bottlenecks and develop logistics projects.
The proposal was discussed during a meeting on 1st October between representatives of Infra S.A. and Guyana’s Embassy in Brazil. During the engagement, Infra S.A. Director of Market and Innovation, Marcelo Vinaud, underscored that the company’s project portfolio and accumulated experience across different transportation modes provide a technical foundation that can be applied to Guyana’s circumstances.
“Infra S.A. has the technical capacity to structure logistics projects across different modes of transportation, including road, rail, water and air. We will assist Guyana in identifying bottlenecks, structuring governance and transforming demands into projects, from initial planning through to procurement and the definition of concession models,” he said.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Brazil, Compton Bourne, said the rapid growth resulting from oil exploration has generated an unprecedented demand for logistics modernisation and connectivity with Brazil. “Guyana is a new oil producer, growing at an extremely rapid pace, and seeks to use these resources to address major public infrastructure challenges,” he said.
Representatives of Infra S.A. and Guyana’s Embassy in Brazil during the recent meeting.
Meanwhile, Infra president Jorge Bastos advocated for expanded technical cooperation with South American countries and the development of integrated logistics planning for the region. “Infra S.A. is fully capable of preparing this plan, and we are already talking and coordinating with Itamaraty so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can serve as the institutional body leading this integration,” he said.
The company’s director of Administration and Finance, Elisabeth Braga, said the work could establish a new model for the company’s international operations by combining planning, project structuring and links to potential funding sources.
“We can work together on what would be an International Logistics and Transport Plan, the first of this format in our history. We will design a comprehensive logistics plan for them, connecting it to available sources of financing and making use of Infra S.A.’s technical capabilities,” she said.
The initiative between Infra S.A. and the Guyanese Embassy is being pursued in coordination with the private sector through the National Association of Road Construction Companies (Aneor) and is aligned with the South American Integration Routes, which aim to improve connectivity between countries in the region.
Notably, it was stated too that structuring the projects could facilitate access to financing from multilateral banks and Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), while creating opportunities for Brazilian companies to participate in infrastructure tenders.
For his part, Aneor President Daniel Zveiter said the initiative comes at a time when opportunities for Brazilian engineering companies in international markets are expanding. “Infra S.A. can act as the project structuring entity and create the conditions for Brazilian companies to participate competitively in international tenders,” he said.
Source: Kaieteur News
