18 groups eye toll road project

CESAR PURISIMA: The first infrastructure project under the Public-Private Partnership program may start within this year. AFP PHOTO

Eighteen private enterprises are bidding for the Daang Hari SLEx road project, the first on a list of big-ticket infrastructure projects being pushed by the Aquino administration under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.

This was reported Thursday by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who told reporters that with the 18 firms, which attended the prequalification conference and bought bidding documents, it was possible for the infrastructure project to be implemented within the year.

Without identifying the bidders, Purisima said their intended participation in the PPP program was an indication of interest of the private sector in the public infrastructure projects being offered for investments by the government.

Under the PPP, the government invites private enterprises to invest in key public infrastructure projects. The objective is to let the private sector finance infrastructure projects given the government’s very limited resources.

The finance chief said the government would be thoroughly reviewing bids to make sure the integrity of the PPP projects would not be compromised.

The Daang Hari SLEx road project is estimated to cost P1.96 billion.

The winning bidder will finance the design, construction and maintenance of the infrastructure. The completion of the project is seen to cut travel time from Daang Hari Road from Cavite to the Alabang Interchange to ease traffic within Cavite, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa.

The Aquino administration formally launched the PPP program late last year. The nearly one year that has lapsed since the launch of the program has elicited criticisms over the length of time it was taking for the first project to be bid out.

But Purisima said it was important to thoroughly review the projects to make sure these would not be questioned for irregularities even after the Aquino administration.

“It is important to set the right policy framework so that whatever projects we enter into will stand scrutiny even beyond the Aquino administration,” Purisima said.

Earlier, Purisima said the government was keen on implementing projects that it proposed under the PPP and was not eager to entertain unsolicited infrastructure-project proposals from the private sector.

He said most of the infrastructure projects involved in controversies in the past administrations were usually unsolicited proposals.

Infrastructure spending in the Philippines stands below 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product while the average for Southeast Asia is above 5 percent.