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

  • Bosnia Herzogovina highway project receiving EBRD loan
    September 12, 2018
    A loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) worth €180 million will help to pay for the construction of the Corridor Vc highway project. This highway is of key importance for the economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina as it will provide and improved transport connection with Europe. The loan will help to pay for the construction of three new sections of Corridor Vc, measuring some 16km. The loan will be provided in two tranches, with the first of up to €120 million and b
  • Let’s talk about savings not costs, says European Road Maintenance Forum
    April 4, 2025
    New message emerges from event to mark International Road Maintenance Day
  • Loan for Bosnia project
    June 25, 2012
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted a €150million sovereign-guaranteed loan for the construction of part of the new Banja Luka–Doboj motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The loan-targeted motorway section is the main east–est link in Republika Srpska, one of the country’s entities. The EBRD said that it will also support the preparation of the first public–private partnership (PPP) project for the main north–south link in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Doboj to Vukosavlje seg
  • A bridge of hope?
    July 18, 2012
    As Russia prepares for a major Asia Pacific conference in nearly four years' time, the economic climate is felt in other countries in the region. Patrick Smith reports AUS$1 billion-plus suspension bridge is to be built to link the city of Vladivostok in the far east of Russia and Russky Island. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev has signed an instruction for construction of the 3,150m long bridge, which is intended to provide access to the 24th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, to be held o