The Diplomat
The vice president of CEOE and president of SEOPAN, Julián Núñez, yesterday inaugurated a day at CEOE under the motto: “Opportunities in Boyacá, a strategic region in the center of Colombia,” in which the governor of the Colombian State, Carlos Amaya; the investment advisor at ProColombia, Natalia Munevar; and the executive president of ProBoyacá, Gheidy Gallo, also participated.
The business meeting, which was attended by the Colombian ambassador to Spain, Eduardo Ávila, served to learn first-hand about the strategic sectors in Boyacá, one of the regions with the greatest growth potential in the country. A portfolio of investment projects in infrastructure to improve regional connectivity was also presented, as well as in areas of great interest to Spanish companies, such as agribusiness, tourism and technology.
Business relations at the bilateral level, said CEOE Vice President Julián Núñez, have been greatly consolidated in recent years. CEOE maintains an intense program of activities with our counterpart, the National Association of Entrepreneurs of Colombia-ANDI, and with institutions such as ProColombia, which contribute significantly to the success of the initiatives; as well as at the regional level through the Council of Ibero-American Entrepreneurs-CEIB.
The governor of Boyacá, Carlos Amaya, referred to some investments that are part of the National Development Plan of the government of Gustavo Petro. Thus, he cited, as the most important project, the medium-speed train, which has an approximate financing of 1.6 billion euros; as well as investments in road infrastructure, in agroindustry and in tourism, among others for some projects such as the tourist train and the metal-mechanical cluster.
He also highlighted the Sogamoso international airport project, as well as other significant ones related to water or the energy transition, to create sustainable municipalities.
“We want to approach Spanish companies to make them part of these projects, since there is a great relationship between the private sector, the departmental and national governments that they can take advantage of,” she said.
In turn, ProColombia’s Investment Advisor, Natalia Munevar, presented during the event the five key reasons that make Colombia an ideal country for investment, highlighting its commitment to sustainability, its wealth in biodiversity, support for social inclusion and gender equality, its energy transition towards renewable energies and its position as a leader in the region.
For her part, Gheidy Gallo, executive president of ProBoyacá, stated that “more companies is synonymous with more wealth, more employment and more opportunities for people.” She added that Boyacá is the ninth largest economy in the country and the third in terms of GDP per capita; and an alliance is being worked on to triple the growth of the economy by 2050. The department produces 55% of the steel in the country and has 6% of the global coke market, in addition to wanting to become a logistics hub for the central east.
