Ceará plans to invest $613 million in infrastructure

The state government of Ceará plans to invest $2.35 billion this year, 20% lower than the $2.91 billion planned initially. The reprogramming of funds was announced earlier last night by the governor Cid Gomes, after the first day of the review meeting of the 2012 Priority Program and Action Monitoring (Mapp).

“I think we should have a reprogramming.  Some actions are having issues in their execution schedules; I think this year we will have around $2.3 billion or even $2.55 billion,” Cid Gomes analyzed. Mapp’s meeting took place in the Official Residence of the Governor, gathering the entire secretariat, and will continue today from 9 am.

Delays

Delays in the schedule of some structural and urban mobility works, such as the second expansion of the Port of Pecém and Parangaba-Mucuripe railroad, where the Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) will travel on, are problems that the state government of Ceará still faces and that may delay the disbursements and hence reduce the amount of resources to be applied this year.
The impediments occur precisely in those sectors where the government has been prioritizing efforts and resources. For this year, for example, investments of $613 million are planned, equivalent to one quarter, or 25%, of the resources previously planned in Mapp, in the deployment of the LRV, the expansion of the Port of Pecém, constructions and reforms of roads and the Luz para Todos (Light for All) program, as well as the East track of the metro.

The State Secretary of Infrastructure Adail Fontenele confirmed at the end of the meeting that the infrastructure works must absorb $613 million this year. According to him, the delay in the start of LRV works is the result of a court decision and a determination of the governor himself, in order to not remove any people before new homes for the residents along the railroad track are built.

However, Fontenele said that civil engineering works and two overpass works – one in Parangaba and another in avenue Aguanambi – will begin next week. Despite the setback, he reckons that everything will be ready by the end of 2013. “It is a quick work of 18 months and we should start in July,” he said.

Port of Pecém

Regarding the expansion works of Port of Pecém, which will involve resources of $301.5 million, the secretary explained that the delays stem from the lack of environmental licensing, which is still under consideration by IBAMA (Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources). “I expected to have started the Port in January,” Fontenele said, ensuring that the latest information required by the agency was sent this week.

“We hope to get answers (from IBAMA) within 15 days, because we need to run with this work.  It is 30 months and we want to deliver it completed by the end of the term of office of Cid Gomes,” he said. According to Fontenele, the expansion works of the port terminal of Pecém included the expansion of Multiple Use Terminal (Tmut), which will receive two more berths, adequacy of 1100 meters of the breakwater on a highway and construction of a 1,520-meter long and 32-meter wide bridge.

Social works

However, the Governor pointed out that investments will be used both for large-scale works and for routine actions. “Works as the Events Center have more visibility, but the Government has many medium and small size works,” he said. Yesterday, he announced for the next Tuesday the signature of the work order for the start of works of the Central Backlands Regional Hospital (HRSC) in Quixeramobim, with 374 beds and the opening of the road linking the cities of Quixeramobim (CE-166 highway) and Madalena (CE-265 highway); and, on May 14, the inauguration of the Low-Cost Housing Development Raquel de Queiroz, for 324 families, in Fortaleza.

Regarding the Oil refinery, Cid said that, while awaiting the completion of studies of Funai (Brazilian Indian Foundation), he negotiates with Petrobras to build housing for families of Anacé Indians, who live in the area of the Port and Industrial Complex of Pecém, in the city of São Gonçalo.

Health

$42.72 million will be invested by the state government of Ceará in the construction of the Central Backlands Regional Hospital, whose work order will be signed on Tuesday.