The Argentine government announced on Tuesday its plan to launch a national and international public tender to privatize the country’s waterway through a 30-year concession, reports Reuters.
The announcement was made by the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Guillermo Francos, who explained that the tender would cover the dredging and buoy marking of the rivers.
The tender will encourage participation from leading global companies specializing in riverine and maritime infrastructure projects. According to an official statement, strict requirements will ensure technical expertise, proven track record, and financial solvency of the participating companies.
Francos highlighted that the terms of the tender emphasize a significant modernization of waterway management, noting that approximately 80% of Argentina’s foreign trade moves along this vital route.
Among the planned upgrades are radar-equipped bases and satellite tracking systems for vessels. The waterway will also see a complete overhaul of its navigation signaling, enhancing safety, along with stricter measures to combat drug trafficking and terrorism, the statement added.
The waterway, a natural transport corridor spanning the Paraná and Paraguay rivers, is essential for moving soybeans that Argentina imports and processes into oil and meal.
Argentina, along with Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, shares this over 3,400-kilometer water channel, which is critical for transporting grains to overseas ports.
“This milestone will enable 80% of our foreign trade to benefit from more efficient and lower logistical costs,” said Luis Zubizarreta, President of the Chamber of Private Commercial Ports.
