Skip to main content

Business Monitor revises forecast on Russia’s infrastructure sector

Business Monitor’ latest report on Russia’s infrastructure sector has considerably revised down their construction industry forecast for the country in 2014 in light of recently published lacklustre official data. With a contraction of 1.25 per cent in the first nine months of 2013, they now forecast only moderate growth in the industry of 1.5 per cent for 2014. Although they had anticipated significant growth in the industry as a result of the large investments made for the Winter Olympic Games, this s
February 14, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Business Monitor’ latest report on Russia’s infrastructure sector has considerably revised down their construction industry forecast for the country in 2014 in light of recently published lacklustre official data. With a contraction of 1.25 per cent in the first nine months of 2013, they now forecast only moderate growth in the industry of 1.5 per cent for 2014.

Although they had anticipated significant growth in the industry as a result of the large investments made for the Winter Olympic Games, this seems to have failed to materialise. In addition, private investment has continued to weaken as a result of endemic corruption, inefficient bureaucracy and lack of investor guarantees. This poor business environment is exacerbated by stubbornly high inflation and slow economic growth.
 
Business Monitor’s country risk team forecasts a slowdown in the Russian GDP, which should arrive at 2.0 per cent in 2013, down from 3.4 per cent in 2012, with a slight acceleration to 2.5 per cent expected in 2014.
 
Infrastructure associated with the export of commodities (pipelines, ports and transport infrastructure – to support oil and gas output east and west of the Urals) has a high growth potential - as development is predicated on growth in the natural resources sector. These projects have been prioritised by the government.

In November 2013, Avtodor shortlisted four teams to bid for the M-11 highway. The four teams are Corsan-Corviam Construccion and consortia Stolichniy Tract OJSC, Roads Construction Corporation and Two Capitals Highway. The concession agreement involves financing, constructing and operating the 543km-684 kilometre section of the toll road.
 
In January 2014 Lithuania-based company Avia Solutions Group and Russia's state-owned company Rostec signed a cooperation agreement to develop and management a new Moscow airport with a capacity of 12 million passengers per year. The new Russian airport, dubbed Ramenskoye International Airport, is designed to cater for low-cost airlines - a niche industry that has experienced slow growth in Russia as a result of insufficient infrastructure.
 
Business Monitor maintains its view that political risk is the main element that can ultimately curtail growth as public policy remains opaque, convoluted and subject to frequent change. The planned privatisation scheme remains on the agenda; yet, on the back of heavy state involvement and strong vested interests, they believe foreign enthusiasm to be muted.

Related Content

  • Developing Oman’s integrated transportation infrastructure
    August 6, 2013
    Oman has committed about US$14.8 billion, almost half of the country’s eight five-year development Plan for 2011-2015, to overhauling roads, ports and airports with the objective of linking the three modes of transport to improve interconnectivity. The third annual Oman Land Transport Infrastructure Summit 2013, 8-11 September, will spotlight the implementation and construction of transportation networks across the Sultanate with a focus on land transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, tunne
  • ITS projects deliver return on investment
    December 3, 2012
    Light is being shed on where the real return on investment is today – growing, tangible, revenue-generating markets like ITS. There is a great deal of investment going on within the ITS space, and a great deal of external interest in investing in ITS,” says Scott Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America, which has been connecting investors with technology firms ripe for investment. Interested parties include the leading investment banking firm Raymond James. Its managing director, Gary Downing says: “ITS i
  • Colombia launches second 4G highway tender
    January 23, 2015
    Colombia has launched the second tender round for phase two of the country's US$25 billion 4G highway plan. The concession is valued at US$1.24 billion, according to vice president Germán Vargas Lleras. The project involves construction and repair work on the 447 kilometre Santana-Mocoa-Neiva highway, which will connect southern department Putumayo with Huila in the country's central region. The winner will build 22 kilometre of four-lane highway, 32 kilometres of two-lane highway and repair some 422
  • Plan to nationalise and toll Madrid’s loss-making free motorways
    July 2, 2012
    The Spanish Ministry of Development is considering nationalising the loss-making radial motorways in Madrid through state-owned company Seittsa. The plan would involve putting in place a toll-payment system to generate revenues to pay interests on debts and maintenance of the roads. The Ministry has already detected 600 locations where remote controlled payment systems could be installed in Madrid to charge those using the roads. The same plan includes a project to nationalise all motorways in Madrid at ris