Methodology

WHICH DATA DO WE INCLUDE?

This initiative, led by CAF, ECLAC and the IDB, reports investment in economic infrastructure (defenses against floods, energy, irrigation, telecommunications, transportation and water and sanitation). We report public investment data from three government levels (national, regional and local) and from State Owned Enterprises.

SECTORS

The covered sectors are concentrated on infrastructure services and utilities. Therefore, infrastructure investment related to oil and gas production and oil refinement and petrochemistry is excluded. Social infrastructure is also excluded: schools, hospitals, dwellings and security infrastructure.

We report investments for the following sectors:

Water

Water and sanitation (drinking water supply through the grid, provision of sanitation services); flood defenses (urban and rural projects for mitigating the effects of flooding); irrigation (facilities and systems of artificial irrigation);

Energy

Generation, transmission and distribution of electricity; transmission and distribution of natural gas;

Telecommunications

Fixed-line telephone services, mobile and satellite telephony, data and internet connection services;

Transportation

Roads and paths, massive urban transportation, railway transportation (infrastructure and rolling stock), aerial transportation and fluvial and maritime transportation;

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Public investment is collected from capital expenditures, particularly gross fixed capital formation expenditures, which constitute investment in the sectors included in this project. We include investments in projects whose lifespan exceeds a year and are subject to depreciation. We report investments in the following type of projects:

New projects or Improvement and Expansion projects:

Projects that add production capacity through construction and/or acquisition of a new productive unit, or those increasing productive potential or the lifespan of an already existing unit; or those which allow for the same production capacity but with greater quality and/or at reduced cost.

Replenishment Projects:

Projects which aim at replacing old assets for others of similar nature and scope, replenishing worn-out productive potential or replenishing the most essential equipment to guarantee assets’ normal functioning.

Pre-Investment Expenses:

Expenditures including professional services, costs of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, etc., needed to carry out a project.

In order to adequately measure investment, it is necessary to exclude current expenditures and operation and daily maintenance costs since they are not included in any of the three aforementioned categories. Thus, those expenses that do not increase the yield or capacity of existing fixed assets nor do they significantly extend their expected useful life are excluded.

Administrative costs associated to government functions in the aforementioned sectors are also excluded; for instance, computer purchases or administrative expenditures of government entities in charge of regulating or supervising sectors defined in this project (such as Ministries or Regulation Authorities).

Under IDB, CAF and ECLAC’s initiative we collect, treat and validate data from public accounts statistics, particularly from budget information. Within these lines, ECLAC has produced a document entitled ``Collection and processing of data on infrastructure investments from public finances in Latin America and the Caribbean``, which provides a glossary and a form designed as tools for consultation and support for Persons responsible for compiling information on infrastructure investments made by the public sector in Latin American and Caribbean countries. It should be noted that the alignment between the concepts of the budget accounts and the concepts and guidelines contained in that glossary is still a goal to be achieved.

MEASUREMENT UNITS

Public investment is collected and reported in local currency units at current prices; it is converted to US Dollars (USD) at current prices using CEPALSTAT’s exchange rate. It is converted to percentage of GDP using GDP data at current prices, as reported by CEPALSTAT. Investment expenses are measured on an accrual basis whenever possible.

COUNTRIES AND YEARS

The Infralatam initiative aims to cover all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. As sufficient information becomes available, countries will be added to those reported on this website. In turn, the information will be updated as sufficient information from each of the countries becomes available.

DATA SOURCES FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT

Argentina: Dirección Nacional de Inversión Pública – Jefatura de Gabinete de Ministros

Belize: Ministerio de Finanzas

Bolivia: (Estado Plurinacional de): Dirección General de Gestión de la Inversión Pública, Viceministerio de Inversión Pública y Financiamiento Externo (VIPFE)

Brazil: Secretaria de Planejamento e Investimentos Estratégicos y Secretaria de Orçamento Federal (SOF), Ministério do Planejamento, Orçamento e Gestão

Chile: Ministerio de Obras Publicas

Colombia: Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público; Dirección Nacional de Planeación

Costa Rica: Dirección General de Presupuesto de la Nación, Ministerio de Hacienda

Ecuador: Secretaría Técnica Planifica Ecuador. Ministerio de Planificación

El Salvador: Ministerio de Hacienda

Guatemala: Dirección Técnica de Presupuesto y Dirección de Asistencia a la Administración Financiera Municipal Ministerio de Finanzas Públicas; Secretaría de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia (SEGEPLAN), Dirección de Inversión Pública

Guyana: Ministry of Public Infrastructure

Haití: Boost (http://boost.worldbank.org/)

Honduras: Dirección General de Inversión Pública y Dirección de Presupuesto, Secretaría de Finanzas (SEFIN), except 2018 which is own elaboration based on SEFIN.

México: Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público

Nicaragua: Ministerio de Hacienda y Crédito Público

Panamá: Dirección de Presupuesto de la Nación, Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas; Autoridad Nacional del Canal de Panamá

Paraguay: Subsecretaría de Economía, Ministerio de Hacienda

Perú: From 2008 up 2015 Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas. From 2016 onwards own elaboration based on Ministerio de Economía y Finanzas.

República Dominicana: Dirección General de Inversión Pública.

Trinidad y Tobago: Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development

Uruguay: From 2011 Oficina de Planeamiento y Presupuesto and Contaduría General de la Nación. From 2008 up to 2010 Oficina de Planeamiento y Presupuesto, and own elaboration based on Contraloría General de la República, Obras Sanitarias del Estado (OSE), Administración Nacional de Usinas and Trasmisiones Eléctricas (UTE).