Chile invites Malaysian firms to participate in bids for infrastructure projects
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian companies are invited to participate in open bids for several infrastructure projects in Chile to be announced soon.
Chile's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Fernando Schmidt said among them are three major projects which are the expansion of the international airport in Santiago; completion of the ring road for the highway in Santiago together with a tunnel; and a highway that would link Chile with Argentina together with a 50km tunnel that would cross the Andes Range.
Schmidt said Chile would call for a international bid next year for the completion of the 24km ring road worth hundreds of millions of US dollars.
"Construction companies can also participate in the bid for the highway project which will link Chile with Argentina. It comes with a 50km tunnel in length and will be one of the longest tunnels on earth.
"The project is worth between US$5 billion and US$10 billion and it is perfectly possible that international companies, including Malaysian companies, can participate in the bid," he told Bernama in an interview.
Schmidt said Chile was now in the final stage of the engineering and financial study of the project before announcing the bid, probably in the next few weeks.
"We'll announce it maybe in the next few weeks. Everything depends on the speed of the study," he said.
Schmidt also said "Flavours of Chile" which would be hosted by the Chilean Export Promotion Bureau (ProChile) on Nov 10 and 11 in Kuala Lumpur would introduce Chilean products in the Malaysian market.
"We want to expand our trade in Malaysia. Currently, the products that we are exporting to Malaysia are limited. The problem is lack of knowledge of the Malaysian market.
"We will introduce new flavours which include fruits, wine, meat, seafood and dairy products as well as new investment opportunities. We also want to focus on our halal products. The number of our companies that are halal certified is increasing," Schmidt said.
Meanwhile, Ambassador of Chile to Malaysia Christian Rehren said about 30 companies would participate in the event.
He said "Flavours of Chile" would have a seminar on the Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement and roundtable business meeting sessions to be participated by businessmen from the two countries and the taste of Chilean flavours.
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