April 27, 2016 – Lisardo Bolaños collaborated with the Guatemalan Association of Non-Traditional Exporters in presenting their Roadmap to increase Guatemalan manufacturing exports. Reducing the time and cost of domestic and international transportation is one of the main challenges to increasing exports. For some manufacturing sectors, the ability to supply with short lead times can become an important competitive edge for a country so close to the United States.
Lisardo made it clear in the proposal and presentation that Public-Private Partnerships, or Alianzas para el Desarrollo (APD) or Alianzas Público-Privadas (APP), are an important tool that should be considered to tackle these challenges. Moreover, taking into consideration the research Lisardo worked on for the Center, the proposal included some specific recommendations to manage the risks and increase the value of delivering transportation infrastructure projects via P3s, particularly in the case of renegotiations and bankruptcies. The use of P3s was specifically highlighted as an alternative way to link the main cities of the country, via rail and roads, and also to improve the infrastructure and services provided in seaports.
The proposal can be found here (in Spanish).
http://export.com.gt/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Doc-Hoja-de-ruta-manufacturas-low.pdf
Some of the reports on the event can be found here (in Spanish).
http://www.dca.gob.gt/index.php/categoryblog-2/item/43620-industria-de-manufactura-se-traza-meta
http://www.prensalibre.com/economia/esperan-subir-exportaciones