With 65 years of Philippines-Switzerland diplomatic relations, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is pursuing Public-Private Partnership (PPP) by inviting Swiss partners in big-ticket infrastructures and transport projects, Secretary Jaime Bautista said yesterday, 25 October 2022.
For post-pandemic economic recovery, the DOTr is innovating ways in accomplishing multi-modal transport projects that generate investments and jobs, while promoting connectivity and reducing cost, Secretary Bautista said before the Swiss Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.
“For some time now, the Department of Transportation has been collaborating with the private sector including nations like Switzerland on our transport projects. These big-ticket projects are taking off the ground because of the private sector who must have seen value at what we are doing,” Secretary Bautista stressed.
To underscore the importance of PPP, Secretary Bautista said there are many opportunities in the road, aviation, railways, and maritime projects of the DOTr.
“We are therefore actively pursuing the PPP scheme to overcome financing challenges for these vital transport projects,” Sec. Bautista said.
The PPP scheme may be implemented in DOTr’s infrastructure projects such as the privatization of the EDSA Carousel, operation of seaports, privatization of 10 provincial airports, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project, and many more, according to Sec. Bautista.
“We are highly confident at using the PPP scheme because of amendments made early this year to the Implementing Rules and Regulations or IRR of the 33-year-old Build-Operate-Transfer or BOT Law,” Sec. Bautista said.
“These recent amendments ensure that PPP projects will not be disadvantageous to Filipinos by providing a balanced sharing of risks between government and the private sector project proponents while allowing reasonable rates of return on investments, incentives, support and undertakings,” he added.
Secretary Bautista said the PPP is an innovation in fast-tracking big-ticket projects and elevating the country’s transport system to global standards.
“This is the way for us to move forward, towards strengthening our bilateral ties, towards the goal of providing safe, affordable, convenient and accessible transportation,” he said.
