The governor of Meta, Alan Jara, met with the Minister of Transportation, Cecilia Alvarez Correa, directors from the National Highway Institute (Invías) and representatives from the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI) to define details of a CoP$5T (US$2.6B) highway project being advanced by the central and departmental governments. This and other reports involving Colombia’s roads in the local press.
The General Royalty System (SGR) continues into its second year and there is no shortage of critics for the system, but it also has its supporters as well. Over the week a lineup of editorial opinions and press reports have addressed the royalties and the system used to control and award them.
Parex Resources celebrated the “day of oxygen” and donated trees to local communities, while Equion backs woman entrepreneurs and Ecopetrol helps build a classroom. These and other Corporate Responsibility (CSR) stories from Colombian press.
The National Hydrocarbons Agency has published a letter confirming that it has reached an agreement with Pacific Rubiales Energy (TSX:PRE) and will proceed with termination of its concession contract in the Rio Ceibas basin (VSM-13), to the delight of the local community.
The USO and Ecopetrol have taken another step towards the negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement after formally resigning from the current, standing agreement.
Criticism of the General Royalty System has not stopped the National Planning Department (DNP) director from promoting its impact and future, the head of the DNP royalties department visits to inspect projects in Casanare and a VP candidate lashes out at a event after receiving questions about the royalty issue. These stories in our roundup of royalty related events and reports.
Through the Business Association for the Development of Orinoquia (Asorinoquia), regional government entities are looking to create public-private initiatives that would compensate for the lack of hydrocarbons royalties and finance needed infrastructure investments.
Ecopetrol says that it has been busy in Barrancabermeja where it says it invests CoP$206B (US$107.4M) annually into Corporate Social Responsibility Projects (CSR). That and other CSR programs from Equion, Parex and more.
Repair work on the Caño Limon- Coveñas Pipeline has finally been completed after spending more than two months out of service after successive pipeline bombings and a conflict with the U´WA indigenous group that blocked repair crews.
The USO said that it will include the use of outsourced labor as an agenda item in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement process with Ecopetrol (NYSE:EC) and that the topic is already on the table in discussions in Cartagena.