Month: April 2023

This Wednesday (5th), Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues left the capital of China, Beijing, and went to the city of Xian for another meeting regarding the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge. This time, the meeting was with CR20, a shareholder that owns 50% of the concessionaire. The meeting was attended by the President of CR20, Lei Weibing, and other executives of the company. They discussed the schedule and the importance of the project for the economic and social development of Bahia.

The Governor stressed the importance of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge for bilateral relations between Brazil and China. He said that the project should be part of the agenda of President Lula’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in April. Credit operations guaranteed by Banco do Nordeste, BNDES and Eximbank China were also discussed during the meeting.

The Government of Bahia and the shareholders also discussed ways to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which contributed to the increase in raw material prices and, in the end, caused an economic-financial imbalance in the project.

Besides the Governor, the secretaries accompanying him on his trip, Ângelo Almeida, of the Department of Economic Development, and André Joazeiro, of the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Superintendent of Business Attraction, Paulo Guimarães, attended the meeting. From Brazil, the meeting was attended online by the Secretary of Infrastructure, Sérgio Brito, Chief of Staff, Afonso Florence, the Secretary of Finance, Manoel Vitório, and the President of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge Concessionaire, Cláudio Villas Boas.

Last Tuesday (4th), the governor had a meeting in Beijing with CCCC, the other 50% shareholder of the concessionaire, during which he discussed technical and financial aspects of the project.

The Salvador-Itaparica Bridge Highway System will be a new vector of income distribution and will boost the economy of the entire State of Bahia, generating seven thousand jobs. In about 250 municipalities, 10 million inhabitants will benefit from the project. At 12.4 km, it will be the longest bridge in Latin America, and at the peak of the project it will create about seven thousand jobs. More than 50 programs will be implemented in the areas of environment, socio-cultural issues, land use and occupation, housing, urban infrastructure and education.

As reported by the Government of Bahia, Department of Communication.

During a meeting at the Beijing headquarters of the CCCC – China Communications Construction Company, a shareholder of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge Concessionaire, progress was made in the negotiations to ensure the project’s feasibility. Governor Jerônimo Rodrigues and Sun Liqiang, the Vice President of CCCC, engaged in discussions about the project’s technical and financial aspects this Tuesday (4th). Chinese executives, along with the State Secretaries of Economic Development, Angelo Almeida, and Science and Technology, André Joazeiro, were also present. Manoel Vitório, the State Secretary of Finance, and Cláudio Villas Boas, the president of the concessionaire, also participated in the event remotely.

The meeting discussed the increase in the price of construction materials and the cost of financing due to the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. “This is a continuation of the work I’ve been doing since the transition period and after assuming office. We’ve attended several CCCC meetings in São Paulo and Brasília to adapt to the current situation, which is a reality beyond anyone’s control, but one we must surmount. Given the pandemic and inflation, they argue that a rebalancing of prices and fundraising is necessary to finance the bridge.” explained Jerônimo.

The Governor pointed out that significant progress has already been made. Just last week, Banco do Nordeste allocated R$ 3 billion to fund a portion of the project. Alongside this, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) and a Chinese bank are in the advanced stages of discussions to contribute to the project’s financing.

Also at this meeting on Tuesday, the governor was present for a showcase of the CCCC’s technical prowess. The CCCC, having constructed seven out of the world’s ten largest bridges, boasts advanced construction technology. “The meeting was fruitful, with discussions revolving around technical and financial facets. This marks another milestone, and we anticipate positive developments in the upcoming months as a result of these meetings in China,” Jerônimo stated.

On Tuesday evening (4th), according to Brazilian time, the governor and the delegation from Bahia departed Beijing for Xian, another significant economic hub in China. There, they attended a meeting with CR20, the shareholder owning the remaining 50% of the Salvador-Itaparica Bridge Concessionaire.

As reported by the Government of Bahia, Department of Communication.