Australian firm offers to build $200-M Subic infra projects

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

Australia’s construction giant Leighton Contractors has proposed to undertake the entire infrastructure requirements of SBMA-Bataan including seaport, road network and sewerage systems for the estimated $200 million project.

Ofelia Bulaong, president of Bataan Technology Park Inc. (BTPI), said this in light of the full development and promotion of special economic zone.

Leighton Contractors Philippines Corp., the local subsidiary, has submitted an unsolicited proposal to develop the infrastructure requirements of the 365hectare ecozone on a buildoperate -transfer scheme.

The port construction is expected to last between 18 months to 2 years. Since this is an unsolicited proposal, Bulaong said the Leighton proposal will be subjected to a Swiss-challenge.
She said the original cost on the project done by a Japanese put the total cost at $200 million.
Leighton is one of Asia’s largest broad-based construction and mining contractors. In the Philippines, it provides full range of contracting services for civil engineering and infrastructure, mining and resources, petrochemical and process engineering, marine engineering and telecommunications.

Its most recent project is the upgrading of the Manila North Tollways. Leighton’s other projects in the country include the Casecnan power station, Philippine Morris Philippines Greenfield project, Nokia Phase 7 cell site rollout, Rockwell Retail Center, Mariveles Jetty, Pagbilao dredging and Sual power plant.

The full-scale development and promotion of BTP followed after President Gloria Arroyo issued Executive Order 381 in October last year converting BTPI into a freeport zone under the banner of SBMA.

But Bulaong said, SBMA-Bataan is still under the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) because BCDA owns the property but it is an SBMA extension and enjoys the benefits of a freeport.

In the meantime that its port is still under construction, SBMA-Bataan will utilize the Subic Port.

"For marketing purposes we have to be named SBMA-Bataan,’’ Bulaong said. Also, the BTPI is literally an extension of SBMA because of its proximity. At present, it is connected through TIPO road.

As a freeport, locators inside SBMA-Bataan will be entitled to tax and duty-free importation of its capital equipment and raw materials. All its produce should be export-oriented.

Bulaong further said that SBMA-Bataan has already signed a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Customs to process its locators’ import and export activities.