Buenos Aires, December 5 (NA) – Entities representing users of the Hidrovía waterway have expressed their support for the tender process of the Vía Navegable Troncal, according to a statement accessed by the Argentine News Agency. The Argentine Industrial Union, the Rosario Stock Exchange, CIARA–CEC, the Chamber of Private Commercial Ports, and the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities highlighted that the process is taking place within a transparent technical and institutional framework, coordinated by the National Agency of Ports and Navigation. The entities emphasized that the participatory scheme incorporated provinces, users, experts, and institutions, and that it now adds a procedure for observations to the draft tender documents, which has allowed for the gathering of contributions and consensus to define a modern, efficient, and sustainable waterway. They also stressed that the participation of UNCTAD as an international body for assistance and supervision provides additional guarantees of rigor and alignment with global standards at every stage of the procedure. According to the statement, a more efficient and predictable waterway is key to improving the competitiveness of Argentina's foreign trade, reducing logistics costs, and strengthening the country's export capacity. The entities affirmed that this is a long-term strategic infrastructure whose development should not be delayed and that the conditions are in place to move towards the award "as soon as possible", in order to guarantee predictability for all actors in the system. Finally, they announced they will analyze the tender documents in detail and make the necessary contributions to help the process result in a competitive, transparent, and sector-need-oriented tender.
