Trade and Commercial Law Assessment - Honduras - Economic ...

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TRADE AND COMMERCIAL LAW ASSESSMENT DECEMBER 2004 HONDURAS both of these recommendations will improve overall highway safety, resulting in reduced accidents and impedances to free flow. ♦ Implement bridge and overpass upgrades and improvements along principal freight corridors. Many of Honduras’s existing highway bridges, like those in other countries in the region, are under capacity with regard to existing highway loads. Many of the bridges were designed and constructed with loading limits of approximately 25 tonnes. Today, load limits are typically over 40 tonnes. Although funding to improve the entire portfolio of Honduras’s bridges would be difficult to acquire, targeted improvements along major freight corridors are highly recommended. Improvements would enable the nation to realize the benefits of high-capacity truckloads, reducing both traffic congestion and labor costs. 1) Seaports Honduras’s primary seaport facility is Puerto Cortez on the Caribbean coast. This port is a multipurpose facility handling general cargo, containers, and liquid and dry bulk cargoes. The facility operates as a semi-autonomous port authority (EPN), with limited discretionary authority over facility upgrades and investments. The EPN operates Puerto Cortez as an operating port authority utilizing private sector concession contracts for stevedoring operations. Port authority responsibilities exclude customs, immigration, and agricultural inspection services. Puerto Cortez was recently certified under ISPS codes and is in the midst of executing its security plan. Observations indicate that landside access security procedures may be considered high. Exhibit 4 provides a breakdown of the key infrastructure elements at Puerto Cortez. Exhibit 4. Puerto Cortez Infrastructure Summary Component Puerto Cortez Port Location Caribbean coast Operation Public operating port authority—private sector service concessions 1,000 meter marginal wharf (476 meters equipped with container gantry cranes) Main Wharf 1 liquid bulk pier 1 dry bulk pier 1 cabotage wharf Water Depth Varies (8 m – 12 m) Number of Berths 7 (+ cabotage wharf) • Containers Cargoes Handled • • Liquid bulk Dry bulk • General cargo/Cabotage • Liquid bulk discharge systems • Dry bulk evacuators Dedicated Wharf Equipment • Conveyance systems • Refrigerated warehouse on dock • Dedicated reefer storage area Container Yard Layout Straddle carrier Expansion Potential Medium to high Comments Good access, both landside and waterside. Overall Assessment Competitive XV-9
TRADE AND COMMERCIAL LAW ASSESSMENT DECEMBER 2004 HONDURAS Puerto Cortez is considered one of the most important seaports serving Central America. But the facility has not seen significant investment over the past 7–10 years and requires an infusion of capital to meet the future demands of the trading community. 2. To facilitate trade, Honduras should make the following improvements to its seaport system: ♦ Trade Facilitation Issues to Address Decentralize government control over the nation’s major port facility. Although Puerto Cortez operates as a semi-autonomous port authority, the facility has limited control over investment and capital improvements. As a result, the facility has not seen significant improvement in recent years. In addition, revenues are often reallocated to other government programs, resulting in further lack of fiscal control. Efforts should be made to enable the port authority to operate as a private company to meet the demands of its customers. Technical assistance will be required to support this effort. ♦ Implement the port’s capacity building master plan. Puerto Cortez has developed a solid capacity building conceptual master plan. Execution of this plan would make Puerto Cortez the leader in port services to the Caribbean coast. Considering the level of manufacturing activity located near the port and its dependence on maritime services, investment in the port’s infrastructure is of paramount importance. ♦ Establish priorities for completion of ongoing operations improvement projects. Puerto Cortez has invested in traffic improvement projects within its terminals. However, funding is not available to acquire land and complete the projects. Completion of these projects should be made a priority. a. Airports Honduras’s airport infrastructure is currently operated under a 20-year concession agreement with Inter Airports, a private sector joint venture. Inter Airports’ concession agreement is limited to airport operations, maintenance, development, and passenger security. Customs, immigration, and air traffic control functions are not within the scope of the concession agreement. Inter Airports operates four international airports: Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatan. Of these four, two airports, Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, account for the majority of the international passenger and commercial fr eight traffic served by the nation’s airport infrastructure. These two facilities contrast sharply in their capability, installed infrastructure, and growth opportunities. San Pedro Sula International Airport, loca ted near the city of San Pedro Sula, is the nation’s most modern facility, according to knowledgeable officials, handles approximately 527,000 passengers annually. The airport operates as b oth an international and a domestic airport, but approximately 85 percent of its total passenger volume is classified as international traffic. The airport is equipped with a single 2,800-meter runway accommodating approximately 60 air operations per day. Space is available for a second parallel runway. The passenger terminal encompasses approximately 12,000 square meters of enclosed passenger processing areas and is equipped with three jetways. Master plans include expansion of the terminal to accommodate four additional jetways. The airport facility is also equipped with a 2,500-square-meter air cargo XV-10
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