Canada recognizes the Philippines’ successful public private partnership program, says envoy

ShutterStock image

TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite  — A Canadian envoy has commended the Philippines for the successful implementation of its public private partnership (PPP) program, which he said could serve as a model for other countries to adopt.

“The Philippines’ experience in the successful rollout of the Philippines’ PPP program can provide lessons for the plans of other PPP Centers, as well as provide more impetus to the work of this panel,” Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder said in his welcome remarks during the 4th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) PPP Experts Advisory Council Meeting held at the Taal Vista Hotel here Wednesday.

“I am also pleased that a consortium led by a Canadian company, CPCS Transcom Limited, Canada, is providing consulting services to the Philippines’ PPP Center as they advance projects under their aggressive PPP agenda,” Ambassador Reeder added.

The Canadian government has provided CAD.2 million to support institutional strengthening and capacity building in the Philippines’ PPP Center, he said, noting that this is in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Australia.

The envoy also expressed Canada’s commitment to help Indonesia operationalize its own PPP Center and work with the World Bank and the Indonesian Ministry of Finance in preparing for the center’s launch.

He further said that Canada is extending CAD.5 million to the Asia Infrastructure Center of Excellence (AICOE), which is based in Singapore.

The center supports and promotes connectivity in the region through infrastructure development. It provides technical assistance to help Southeast Asian countries identify and prepare viable, bankable and high-impact regional PPP infrastructure projects.

Canada, like other countries in the Asia Pacific, is also working to address infrastructure gaps, which are key constraints to economic growth and poverty reduction, according to Reeder.

“We recognize the important role of infrastructure investments in building a resilient and competitive economy and providing requisite public services to citizens efficiently and effectively,” he said.

The North American country has a 22-year history of successful PPP projects, Reeder said, adding that it has completed 221 projects, valued at more than CAD.4 billion.

As a result, he said, Canada’s industry has developed exportable world-class expertise in PPPs, with respect to Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) projects.