Carmen María Torrebiarte, president of the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF), stated that the provisional protection granted on June 28 by the Mixed Chamber of the Court of Appeals of Escuintla, opens the way for the Port Company Quetzal (EPQ) to make the corresponding mechanisms for the continuity of the operations of APM Terminals.
The business leader talks about two specific aspects: the EPQ Board of Directors or the General Management of the port, must find the model to be able to work within the process of the container terminal.
After that, they will issue a call for a transparent international tender process, in which they will be observing the event.
What is the background of the resolution?
The provisional protection requested was that the container terminal could be kept operational, uninterrupted, thus ensuring that they can effectively continue working and avoid a logistical collapse.
Does this decision provide peace of mind to users?
It gives us peace of mind because the service is maintained and not interrupted. The continuity of the container terminal is guaranteed.
Now comes the task of being able to give it continuity and give us the space to temporarily define the rules so that they can continue operating; EPQ must generate the corresponding contracts, and, on the other hand, the international tender will have to be launched.
“The provisional protection requested was that the uninterrupted operation of the container terminal could be maintained, with this, it is achieved that they can effectively continue working and there is no logistical collapse”
Carmen Maria Torrebiarte, president of Cacif
The important thing was that they didn’t give him a “swift” – the downturn, so to speak – so that we wouldn’t be left with nothing (in terms of operations), but now what we are being given is the legal framework to carry out the entire process of an orderly transition. This allows us not to go “swift” but rather an orderly transition, for the benefit of the country, and without having a logistical collapse.
What is the next step?
The next step is to establish a transparent international bidding process so that the model can truly be maintained in the long term.
What is the specific proposal of the organized private sector?
The reality is that all of this is up to the government to carry out, but as a private sector and users, we will monitor that the corresponding steps are taken, until an international, transparent tender is launched, the best participate, and the best offer wins the event.
He reiterated that it is important for us that the steps are taken appropriately and that there is transparency throughout the process.
What approaches do you have with the relevant authorities?
We have been talking with different government entities about the importance of not having a logistical collapse, and working with various institutions, so that when the protection was or was given, which they granted, to work in a transparent manner, ordering the following phases so that whoever wins the tender can have a guarantee in the future of an efficient, agile, effective service and that the model that has been competitive can be maintained in the long term.
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