Another PPP deal rolled out
April 11, 2013 at 17:06
FRESH FROM auctioning off the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Expressway project, the government yesterday offered another public-private partnership (PPP) deal, calling on firms to bid for a road that will connect the Manila-Cavite and South Luzon expressways.
“The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is inviting local and international companies to prequalify to bid to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the Cavite-Laguna (CALA) Expressway Project,” a notice published in a newspaper read.
The CALA Expressway, which was approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board in January, will be a four-lane, 47-kilometer toll road. It is expected to decongest traffic in the area, reduce travel time to and from Metro Manila and improve the competitiveness of the CALABARZON region.
The project involves the financing, design, construction, and operations and maintenance of a 28.9-km stretch from the Manila-Cavite Expressway terminus in Kawit to the Aguinaldo highway in Silang, and the operations and maintenance of 18.1 kilometers from the Aguinaldo highway to the South Luzon Expressway’s Mamplasan exit in Laguna.
Interested parties can purchase bid instructions and other relevant information for a non-refundable fee of P100,000. Qualification documents have to be submitted by June 10.
The CALA project is the first PPP project to be rolled out this year. It brought the number of PPP deals offered by the Aquino administration to 10, of which only two — the P1.96-billion Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway Link and the P16.42-billion PPP School Infrastructure Project Phase One — have been awarded since flagship infrastructure program was launched in late 2010.
On Monday, two bidders submitted offers for the NAIA Expressway project. A winner is expected to be named later this month, with a formal award expected in May.
Meanwhile, asked about possible CALA investors, PPP Center Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao said in a text message: “Ayala, SMC (San Miguel Corp.), MPIC (Metro Pacific Investments Corp.), SM, Villar Group.”
“They’ve previously indicated their interest in the project,” Ms. Canilao claimed.
Jose T. Sio, SM Investments Corp. executive vice-president, yesterday said the firm was not interested. Officials of the other firms named were not immediately available for comment.
Source: BusinessWorld. 9 April 2013.
