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

  • Indian vehicle tracking market set to double in size by 2017
    June 19, 2013
    A newly updated report by industry analysts TRN, Indian Vehicle Tracking and Fleet Management Market, 2013-17, investigates opportunities in the vehicle tracking and fleet management sector in light of economic and policy development in India in late 2012 and the first half of 2013. Implications of recent changes to laws governing foreign investment in retail, tax reform, the policy response to the Delhi bus rape, and the spring 2013 budget are all covered in the new edition, and are used to inform scenari
  • Key Russian PPP project
    April 18, 2012
    The Northern Capital Highway (NCH) consortium has been named the preferred bidder in the tender for the central section of St Petersburg’s Western High-Speed Diameter (WHSD) project. Should NCH win the tender process it will build and then operate the entire stretch of the toll road. The consortium comprises VTB Capital and Gazprombank from Russia in partnership with Italian company Astaldi and Turkish firm Ictas Insaat.
  • Nicaragua’s alternative Panama canal plans
    July 24, 2014
    Plans for an inter-oceanic canal in Nicaragua have been announced by Hong Kong-based HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment and its local arm HKND. The US$40 billion project involves the construction of an alternative to the Panama Canal. The proposed 280 kilometre, which aims to compete with the Panama canal, would connect Nicaragua's Caribbean and Pacific coasts. It includes the development of a deepwater port at each end of the canal, an oil pipeline running alongside it a dry canal for the transpo
  • Moscow pins hopes on V2X
    March 18, 2020
    A new transport strategy is aimed at creating conditions for the introduction of new ITS developments within Moscow – and 5G and V2X are on the agenda