Skip to main content

Colombia: New decree allows pension funds to finance 4G projects

Columbian president Juan Manuel Santos Colombia has said pension fund money could help finance the country’s ambitious 4G motorway projects. Columbia has 35 road projects underway costing more than US$11.7 billion, including the first two 4G tender waves with six public-private partnerships that have already been approved. During a banking convention held in the coastal city of Cartagena in mid-June, Banco Davivienda president Efrain Forero lending capacity studies have been completed for 4GH projects
June 25, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
Columbian president Juan Manuel Santos Colombia has said pension fund money could help finance the country’s ambitious 4G motorway projects.

Columbia has 35 road projects underway costing more than US$11.7 billion, including the first two 4G tender waves with six public-private partnerships that have already been approved.

During a banking convention held in the coastal city of Cartagena in mid-June, Banco Davivienda president Efrain Forero lending capacity studies have been completed for 4GH projects. Her said  Davivienda Bank has completed assessments with the nine consortia from the first wave of tenders and several from the second wave that already have financial close on their projects.

The head of local bank Colpatria, Santiago Perdomo, said his bank is assessing 4G opportunities while the president of the local BBVA branch, Oscar Cabrera, said his institution is also analysing permits and capabilities within 4G projects.

However, while the 4G highway project creates business opportunities for local banks, it also presents problems, according to a statement in May from Fitch, an international financial ratings agency based in New York and London. Fitch, along with Moody's and 5426 Standard & Poor's, are commonly referred two as the big three credit rating agencies.

The biggest challenge for 4G is attracting foreign funding. Fitch believes that a funding split of 25% international and 75% local would limit the potential for local banks to over-commit themselves.

Fitch estimated that the first two of three phases for 4G requires about $15 billion in financing, of which local banks are expected to fund up to about half. “We see Colombia's banks holding enough capital to withstand a high growth rate of 4G project loans under such a scenario,” the statement said.

“Large Colombian banks such as 3123 Bancolombia, Banco de Bogota and Davivienda, along with midsize banks such as 5253 Corpbanca, Occidente, and new regional players including BTG Pactual, ITAU and 4001 Santander could participate in 4G's financings. Each of these banks may require some build-up of internal risk management capabilities relating to project management expertise, as the risks of such loans materially differs from traditional lending such as commercial and corporate loans.”

3260 World Highways reported in April that Colombia's national agency for infrastructure, Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura (ANI), had announced the second wave of 4G motorway projects made of nine projects that will require $5.64 billion. Four proposals had been received for the first of these projects, the Puerta de Hierro-Palmar de Varela-Cruz del Vizo motorway, a 202km road will require around $470 million.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Mainstreaming road safety in transportation projects: scaling up global commitment
    April 6, 2017
    In its latest policy statement, the International Road Federation affirmed the essential role of road safety audits and inspections It called on multilateral institutions to introduce qualitative benchmarks and capacity strengthening programs to ensure countries progress towards a safe and forgiving road system. Road safety audits and inspections are a formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. They qualitatively estim
  • Colombian road contracts being awarded
    May 31, 2021
    A series of Colombian road contracts will be awarded in coming months.
  • IRF World Congress: Safety through technology
    October 17, 2024
    For too long there has been a focus on physical infrastructure itself when it comes to sustainability. Now we understand the interdependence of infrastructure, government agencies and policies, a nation’s health, access to education and much more. David Arminas reports from Istanbul, Turkiye.
  • Colombia road plan includes new project
    February 26, 2018
    Colombia's future 4G road programme now includes a new project, to provide a new link from Popayan to Santander de Quilichao. The three month consultation process has been completed and the steps needed for an environmental license to be awarded are now underway. Should all continue to go to plan, construction of the 77km link should commence in August 2018, although a target for the completion date has yet to be announced.