MONEY TAKEN FROM THE MAGAZINE BOXES Investment port International Tourist Marina, Santa Marta Port and industrial park PIPC Caribbean, Barranquilla FTZ Tayrona, Santa Marta Park agroindustrial de Santa Marta Transcaribe Hospitality Cartagena industrial More energy Urban renewal in Barranquilla 07/04/2008 Regions Coast: Sea Project The expansions of ports are the major driver of investment, but there are industrial development, trade and tourism. The Costa comes with everything. The expansion of port concessions, the increase in coal exports, encouraging the creation of zones, the expansion of large industrial projects, tourism recovery and renewal of historic centers you are printing a strong impetus to the economies of Barranquilla, Cartagena and Santa Marta. Investments in port you are changing the face of the region. The port companies of the three towns have provided island investments of over U.S. 600 million for the coming years. In the case of Barranquilla, on the 16 ports that were concessions during the past three years will be invested between 90 and 100 million through 2010 and also when they reach their full development stage investments to reach U.S. 250-US 300 million, explains Juan Gonzalo Botero, director of Cormagdalena. Among the new ports, ten are charcoal, and six caribbean general cargo. The boom in Barranquilla port is explained by the problems with the shipment of coal from Santa Marta and Cartagena, due to environmental impacts in these tourist towns. Since the expectation is to export 70 million tons of coal a year, the Atlantic capital becomes a good alternative as output port. Moreover, construction of the access channel, which will increase the draft from 30 to 36 feet in less than a year, new opportunities for this city. Not only larger ships enter, but now the lower part of her cargo in Santa Marta or Cartagena to lighten up so you can go to Barranquilla, and will not have to. "A bulk importers are interested to get directly to Barranquilla, where they have their centers of consumption and production," says Enrique Carvajal, commercial manager of the Regional Port Society of this city.Other beneficiaries are container ships, so it is expected to further increase trade through this port. There will be more competition, but that does not bother the other cities. "Everyone will be space. The port investment to the East Coast will barely a day with the needs Dominica of foreign trade," said Mauricio Suarez, manager of Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Santa Marta. Barranquilla, full steam In general dynamism, as evidenced for example in the construction of ten new malls in the past two years, joins the recovery of confidence in municipal finance, which will allow Barranquilla again be eligible for credit. Barranquilla display today an impressive dynamism in carrying out works and the growth of private investment, with projects like the renovation of the historic center that began three years ago, the mass transportation system and investment Transmetro 30th Street, the corridor port, the bypass and 40th Street, which improve the interconnection between the port and export processing zones and more than 250,000 million. "We need property tax rebates for new housing that it sits in the historic center. Exemptions are also in industry and commerce for the new industry," said Mayor Alejandro Char.