The announcement was made by the Secretary of State at the Public Works and Infrastructure business breakfast, organized by the Association of Marketing Leaders (ADM), in which he was the only speaker.
"If we add to this the execution process through public-private participation (PPP) works and some extra efforts that we have been doing together with the economic team and the National Development Corporation, we will make a record investment in the road network ", projected Falero.
"We cannot invest to say that we were there, we have to invest in the right thing, and in that challenge we are with our technical team, to whom we entrust the best projects, which allow us to give certainty of the durability of the work that the State is building" , he analyzed.
"We have to put more effort into the quality of the work to be built," he reaffirmed.
The head of the MTOP announced that in this period a record investment of 810 million dollars will be made in the construction and retrofitting of 156 bridges.
He mentioned, as examples, some interventions on the bridge over the Negro River, in the Duraznense town of Centenario, in another that connects the towns of San Gregorio with La Paloma, in Durazno, and the works begun in recent days to unite La Charqueada, Treinta y Tres, and CebollatÃ, Rocha.
The exhibitor illustrated that the state investment in the Central Rail project, which is under execution and covers the 2020-2022 period, will add up to 850 million dollars. He stressed that the work will contribute to the output of national production, through the port of Montevideo, and to the interconnection with other railway sections linked to different productive areas.
He expanded by mentioning the end of the stage of expropriations of properties on the railway line and that it remains to resolve with the Municipality of Montevideo specific interventions in the accesses of the work to the capital.
"We must be more efficient in administrative processes to achieve the goals set by the Government and that, due to bureaucratic procedures, are delayed," said the chief, although he assured that this began to change in recent months with the current ministerial leadership.
"In Uruguay, we have the culture of 'you can't', and we have to change it. We are all responsible for that," he said. He warned that bureaucratic difficulties should not affect the image of the country in the eyes of foreign investors, which is why he called for greater articulation between state institutions.
Regarding port infrastructure, the Government projects an initial investment of 577 million dollars, to which other private ones will be added. He recognized that in the port of Montevideo "there are things to improve" and that "the solutions consist in facilitating the processes, so that they do not affect transporters, commerce and industries that often suffer from the inefficiency of port operations, which generates unforeseen extraordinary costs ".
"There is a government responsibility to assume it together with private operators to modernize the port as a regional hub." However, "we still need (to advance) a lot", considered the minister.
He recalled that, as a result of the Government's agreement with the Cuenca del Plata Terminal (TCP), whose majority operator is the Belgian Katoen Natie, a private investment commitment of more than 400 million dollars was established.
In reference to the Directorate of Transportation and as a consequence of the health emergency, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Falero announced that the State foresaw in the 2020-2021 biennium an investment of more than 190 million dollars in items destined to the diesel trust , student ticket and COVID Fund.
He added that the portfolio aims to formalize the freight transport sector so that the units that circulate on national routes do so in a regular situation of payments and adequate technical conditions. "We have to help international cargo transport that has some competitiveness difficulties with the region," mainly with Argentina, and in which the portfolio has been working, he assured.
The minister stated that in the current administration it was sought that the Architecture Directorate established several framework agreements with different public institutions that add up to a figure of 3,330 million pesos.
The list includes the Hospital del Cerro, the Institute for Children and Adolescents of Uruguay, the National Institute for Adolescent Social Inclusion, the National Administration of Public Education, the Administration of State Health Services, the University of the Republic, municipal governments , ministries and the Judiciary.
The list of social agreements of the ministry to improve infrastructure includes various homes for the elderly, child and family care centers (CAIF), care centers for the disabled and homeless people and sports institutions, among others.
In the final section of his exhibition, Falero indicated that works that he considered important are in the process of being developed, such as the interbalnearia route interchanges.
In that sense, he reiterated that between December 15 and 20 the interchanges will be operational in the SolÃs and Pan de Azúcar towns, in Maldonado.
The one that is built at the height of Los Arrayanes, also in Maldonado, will not be ready, but it will allow normal circulation so that it does not affect tourism in the summer season, according to him.
In another order, Falero said that as of March the automatic toll payment system will be generalized throughout the country. ■