Finance & Funding

XCMG is developing its overseas activities with a programme called 'One Belt, One Road'. Representatives from 18 countries recently travelled to XCMG’s headquarters in China to launch the firm’s new Overseas Service Activity. This is focusing particularly on service support for customers involved in the New Silk Road project.

Caterpillar is setting up a regional training centre in Dubai. This new technical and sales training centre will be used to support more than 7,000 Cat dealer technicians in the Africa and Middle East (AME) Region. The company is investing over US$7 million in the facility, which will cover an area of about 1,700m2 and employ 40 personnel. Most of the team will be high-level technical staff who will primarily be recruited from the region. The facility will help support the technicians at AME Cat dealer

Bobcat recently introduced its S450 skid steer loader at an open day run by its Kuwait dealer. Bahrah Trading Company (BTC) is the Authorised Dealer for the Bobcat equipment range in Kuwait and part of the Al-Sayer Group of Companies. The event was held at the Kuwait International Fair Ground at Mishref, where Bobcat loaders, telehandlers, excavators and attachments were demonstrated alongside Doosan Heavy and Doosan Portable Power products for which BTC is also the Authorised Dealer in Kuwait. Bobcat co

Russia is setting out its budget plans for transport infrastructure investment. In all a healthy US$43.92 billion is being planned for transport infrastructure development in Russia during the 2016-2018 period. This will be used to maintain and repair existing routes as well as to develop new links. Road projects figure highly in the spending although investments will also be made into rail and air transportation.

Uganda is requesting a loan worth some US$145 million from the World Bank. The loan has been recommended by the Ugandan Parliament. Provided by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), the funding will help pay for Uganda’s the road connectivity development project. This will focus on work in the country’s Albertine Region districts over a five-year period. The road connectivity development project will boost access to infrastructure and help develop the economy of the Albertine Region.

The Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Housing is setting out development plans for East Indonesia. The infrastructure works will include building roads and bridges, with a projected budget of US$931.2 million. One of the main projects will be for the completion of the Trans Papua route, which should be ready for traffic by 2018. The 900km Trans Papua project will run through Merauke to Jayapura, Nabire, Manokwari and Sorong. Some $447 million will be spent developing infrastructure in Papua while a fu

In Paraguay the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) in Paraguay plans to spend US$750 million on road repairs and construction. The work will be carried out in Alto Parana. This includes the country’s Export Corridor (Corredor de Exportacion) between Natalio and Pdte. The work includes work to the second bridge with Brazil, expansion of Ruta 7 on the Tape Pora section, recovery of the motorway between Katute-Ciudad del Este and the rehabilitation of Ruta 6, amongst other schemes. Expansion of

Indonesian road firm Jasa Marga will fund work on a major toll road project using a loan from state lenders, Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI), Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Sumatera Utara (Bank Sumut). The US$212 million loan will finance work on Jasa Marga's Medan-Kuala Namu-Tebing Tinggi toll road. The route is 61.7km long and will connect Kuala Namu International Airport to other key areas.

Austrian contract STRABAG has won the tender process to widen the A3 Autobahn in southern Germany. The contract will see the firm widening the A3 to six lanes in a deal worth €90 million. The A3 connects the cities of Frankfurt and Nuremburg. STRABAG has been awarded the EO 287 contract to widen a 5.7km section of the road using asphalt construction methods in the state of Bavaria. It has also won the EO 259 contract to widen an 8.5km section of road using asphalt construction methods in the state of in Bad

Morocco’s Transport Ministry says that by 2035, the country will have constructed 85% of its required transport infrastructure. To achieve the country’s ambitious transportation development programme, PPPs will increasingly be used to deliver projects due to the high levels of investment required. The country’s high speed rail project will be the first of its kind in Africa, while new ports will be built in Dakhla, Jorf Lasfar, Safi, Kénitra and Nador.