The Argentine Government and the Development Bank of Latin America-CAF signed two loans for US$175 million to improve road and university infrastructure, works that will benefit more than 153,000 people throughout the country.
The agreements were signed by the president Alberto Fernandez and the head of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America, Sergio Diaz Granados.
The first loan, for US$100 million, will finance the “Integration Logistics Corridors” program, which seeks to contribute to the consolidation of road corridors and favor national and regional integration, CAF reported this Saturday.
The funds will be used for expand national route 5, between the town of Mercedes and the Suipacha Bypass, and national route 3, between San Miguel del Monte and access to Gorchsstrategic roads that connect the City of Buenos Aires with the towns to the south and southwest of the province of Buenos Aires.
Through the second loan, for US$75 million, the Public Works portfolio will be able to finance the fourth phase of the “University Infrastructure Program”, which seeks to promote infrastructure works in national universities and support the creation of undergraduate schools in different provinces of the country.
Under this program, 123,000 students from the state university system would benefit, of which 3,000 correspond to university school students, as well as 10,250 teachers and researchers and non-teaching staff, the lender estimated.
The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary of Strategic Affairs, Gustavo Beliz; the Ministers of Education, Jaime Pereczyk, and Public Works, Gabriel Katopodis; the Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, Christian Asinelli; the South Regional Manager, Jorge Srur; and the CAF representative in Argentina, Patricia Alborta.
“At CAF we want to continue contributing both to Argentina’s road infrastructure and to strengthening the higher education system. We believe that both are key elements to promote the development and economic growth of the country, improve the quality of life and equalize opportunities”Diaz Granados pointed out.
During his visit to the country, the head of CAF also met with other government officials, including the Ministers of Economy, Martín Guzmán; Productive Development, Daniel Scioli; of Tourism and Sports, Matías Lammens; Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero; and the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Sergio Massa.
