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They built a machine… well oiled by the way. They didn’t just run PPPs. The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) in Chile created a dedicated Concessions Unit in the 1990s. When other developed countries thought about. Tried to invent the wheel. Or create something too customized, too unique and too unbankable. Chile won them all. Delivered infrastructure like hell. Modernize the country at fast pace. When other dreamt, Chile delivered. Not consultants. Not a donor-driven office. A real, permanent team inside government. Here’s the difference: They paid competitively to attract talent. They kept the knowledge in-house, instead of outsourcing brains every procurement… different brains by the way. They built long-term careers around PPPs, so when a 30-year contract was signed, someone was still there to manage it in year 10, 15, 20. The result? Dozens of successful concessions: airports, highways, hospitals. International players lining up to bid. Disputes managed, not ignored. Private partners knew there was a grown-up on the other side of the table. Success in infrastructure is not about one shiny procurement. It’s about governments having the guts to invest in strong, permanent teams who can actually hold the baby for 30 years. One procurement process after the other. Chile did. And that’s why they became the benchmark for Latin America, while others spent fortunes on advisors and ended up in arbitration. Chile’s official knew the answers to these 100 questions. ​100 Q&A About PPP that you MUST KNOW​ PD 1: If you liked this email, don't keep it in secret and forward it to a friend. They will thank you enormously one day. PD 2: If somebody has sent you this email and you want to receive emails like this yourself, visit vicentevalencia.com PD 3: If you want unsubscribe, click the link below. |
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I bring you today a useful reminder for anyone advising the public sector. Shanghai’s Maglev. It connects Pudong Airport with Longyang Road in about eight minutes. Eight minutes. Fantastic. Except, if you’re heading into central Shanghai, your journey continues... Even the city’s own airport guide explains the onward metro connection at Longyang Road. The train has finished its job. You haven’t finished your journey. Your suitcase remains unimpressed… Nothing to say about your hungry kids....
I continue in China. And looking at Chinese infrastructure, I came across a lovely reminder for our industry. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge. More specifically, its immersed tunnel. A standard tunnel segment weighed approximately 80,000 tonnes. They precast the segments on Guishan Island, then used tugboats to transport them into position. If you like megaprojects, this is a must see. The project used extensive off-site manufacturing to help control quality and reduce disturbance to marine...
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