Four months ago, the government filed a lawsuit against Autopistas del Sol and Abertis’ Grupo Concesionario del Oeste. The National Executive maintains that the extension of these concessions – agreed in the previous management – presents irregularities. However, The Presidency is preparing to authorize toll increases on the Pan-American and Acceso Oeste motorways, the two corridors managed by this group.
The go-ahead for the increases has fueled suspicions in the motorway market. Sources speaking to both the government and the company assure clarion that “there is an ongoing negotiation” to unlock the judicial dispute. The possibility of an agreement was denied by the Ministry of Public Works, in charge of carrying out the process, at the request of the Presidency. “There is no rapprochement, there is a legal case in between,” they replied from that unit, led by Gabriel Katopodis.
In Abertis, the Spanish shareholder of Autopistas del Sol and Grupo Concesionario del Oeste, are open to dialogue. The company usually requests the recomposition of the tolls it applies on the basis of inflation and the conditions appearing in the concession contract.
Official sources have confirmed that there will be an increase in tolls, even if they have not established a deadline. “It will be close to 100% and will be in effect from March,” explained an interlocutor who is in dialogue with both (State and private). “I don’t think if the fight was that fierce they would authorize a raise. It could be a sort of ‘impasse’ for a negotiation”, they interpret in another company of the same sector. As of February 2022 both highways were cleared with a 26.5% increase. It was lower than 2021 inflation (it was almost double). And it was after nearly three years with no raises.
Since December 2022, Autopistas de Buenos Aires (Aubasa) – which operates route 2 and other provincial routes (11, 56, 63 and 74) has increased tolls by 90%. In March there will be 35% more. The highways operating in the city (25 de Mayo, Perito Moreno, Illia) will also apply a 45% recomposition in March and 40% in May. “They cannot authorize increases on the provincial highways, on the city ones and not on the two with the highest traffic in the country”, specifies the same who sees private companies and the State closer to dialogue than to litigation. “The fight does not benefit anyone. The legal issue must be resolved or at the very least it will not be investigated”, he says, even if he asks not to be quoted.
“Either way, the hike will improve workers’ wages, but not for the company,” another official insinuated, acknowledging the imminent hike. “A toll increase shouldn’t be a sign of rapprochement in a dispute. It’s an acknowledgment of costs,” he says.
Four months ago, the government filed a lawsuit to cancel the Pan-American highway concession. In turn, he asked the Justice for “a precautionary measure for the National State to take over the management of the Northern Access”. The Executive has obtained authorization to designate a veedor. The lawsuit made no further relevant progress.
The Government wants to annul a 2018 decree. According to the interpretation of the Executive, an agreement concluded between the concessionaires and Strada Statale in the previous administration (2015-2019) “committed the State with a million-dollar debt, non-existent and harmful to the interests of users.
Close to the concessionaires they understand that the renegotiation has been beneficial for the State (which has saved hundreds of millions of dollars of recognized debt) and that the so-called “dollarisation” of the tariffs referred to by the Executive Branch is not such.
Economy Minister Sergio Massa has always been known for trying to be “open” to dialogue with all companies, regardless of the origin of their share capital. “It is not useful for him to bring a state trial against a Spanish company,” analyzes a former official who was negotiating with multilateral organizations. “When you have to talk to a multilateral, where there are administrators from several countries, it is advisable not to enter into conflict with any of them”, he adds. In any case, the fate of the motorways is legally linked to the decisions of the Ministry of Public Works.
Source: Clarin
