Concerns about the situation presented by the closure of the Pan-American Highway do not cease.
President Gustavo Petrostated on his Twitter account that he convened an extraordinary Council of Ministers in Ipiales, Narinoto address the situation in the southwestern part of the country, “I return immediately to Colombia”said the president.
Petro raised a new 270 kilometer road. It would be a dual carriageway with a $12 billion investment between Popayán and Chachagüí, Nariño, as well as handing over land populations affected by the geological fault in this area that implied the closure of the Pan American.
(See: Roads and freight, agricultural solutions due to the closure of the Pan-American Highway).
in matters of farmingthe event today continues to affect the entry and exit of food such as milk, potato and peas.
Additionally, there is a possibility that this road closure generates increases in product prices, given that, the cost overruns that are occurring due to the increase in freight and already difficulty of extraction lead to inflationary pressures.
According to Jorge Bedoya, president of the Colombian Farmers Society (SAC), the situation of the collapse today only affects the departments of Narino and Cauca, However, the manager states that it is possible that the effects of the closure will later affect other parts of the country, in terms of prices and supply.
Additionally, government has been taking measures to mitigate the impacts on the sector.
According to the portfolio and the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), the issuance of a resolution was announced to guarantee the entry of domestic and farm food, which have been affected by the blockage since Ecuador.
(See: Pan-American Highway: will allow importation of animal feed).
One of the sectors that has suffered the most is the dairy. According to Felipe Pinilla, president of Milk Producers Association (Analac), “Producers who sell to other companies or cheese makers are the most affected because that production leaves Nariño to be processed in Cauca and Valle. Selling their milk is more complicated, sometimes it is lost or sold at prices well below those of before the collapse”.
(See: Housing and fuel, the most affected in Nariño by road closure).
Additionally, the manager indicated that there are alternatives such as truck transportation smaller refrigerated passing through Ecuador, “But they feel insufficient in order to move in the direction that is required to stabilize the situation to some extent,” Indian.
As well as the Agriculturethe sector of fuels and construction It has also had impacts.
The closure affected the passage of tank trucks with liquid fuels and LPG for the region, so the governmentunions and companies have activated contingency plans to supply this area with the energetic.
(See: Mining and gas companies meet to supply LPG in Nariño).
Likewise, Camacol Narino estimates that in two weeks the stocks of construction inputs will run out, leaving 85 housing projects inactive.
Like the local government of Pasto warned that the losses for the economy would exceed $1.5 trillion, due to the road closure.
They call for an Economic and Social Emergency
the guilds of production ask the Government for prompt action, that include up to the declaration of economic emergencyto overcome the crisis.
In a letter to the president Gustavo Petrothe president of Acopi, Rosmery Quintero, requested follow-up to the emergency with three actions.
The first, he said, is to prioritize the road works that reconnect the Pan American for your prompt qualification.
In second place, Quintero poses “manage with the fuel price stabilization fund so that it covers the fuel cost overruns that are generated as a result of this emergency.”
And finally, draw attention to “Take into account the considerations made by the Nariño forces in declaring the economic emergency and, with it, the measures that help MiPymes to mitigate the impact generated by this situation.
On this last point he also ruled confecámarasby supporting the requests made in this sense by sectors of the Cauca and Narino.
They also request “Incorporate into the National Development Plan the construction of the Pasto – Popayán dual carriageway and other road infrastructure works that are priorities for the competitiveness of these regions.”
For his part, the President of phenalcoJaime Alberto Cabal also asked for agility, he demanded that the supply of fuel and products from the family basket is guaranteed without affecting the population.
“The message from President Gustavo Petro on the construction of the dual carriageway between Popayán and Chachagüí in Nariño is encouraging, but we hope that it will be given top priority,” added.
BRIEFCASE
