In a press conference, Montaño assured that “the government of President Luis Arce is investing more than 18 million bolivianos ($2.5 million) in the pre-investment study for Section II of the Ichilo-Mamoré waterway; 15.1 million ($2.1 million) for the study of the project and more than 3 million (about $100,000) for monitoring the study.”
The owner invited specialized companies to present their proposals on the official website of the state contract system with a delivery time of 14 months.
“With the Ichilo-Mamoré waterway, we will reduce freight transportation costs and allow the export of Bolivian goods across the Atlantic,” Montaño said.
Section II of this water route extends for 570 kilometers and will favor the ports of Ustárez on the Iténez River; Guayaramerín, on the Mamoré River; and the secondary ports of Buena Vita, Abaroa, San Lorenzo and San Roque.
Such a project will connect Bolivia to the Atlantic and reaffirms the commitment of President Luis Arce's government to strengthen the economy through an industrialization policy with import substitution.
Previously, Montaño estimated that the construction of this waterway would generate a billion dollars in annual profits.
He mentioned that this project will benefit not only the department of Beni, but also Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Pando and the entire country, through the circulation of salt, potassium chloride, table salt for livestock, phosphorus, urea and soybeans, among others.
He described that the national government is working on developing a study to identify the ports to be strengthened through construction, dredging, signaling and telecommunications.
In total, the waterway is almost 1,400 kilometers long and promises to become a sales route for exports from the Andean state in the Amazon region to Europe.
The route begins in Puerto Villarroel (Cochabamba), passes through Puerto Siles between Yacuma and Mamoré (Beni); and ends in Puerto Sucre, in the municipality of Guayaramerín, on the border with Brazil.
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