Madrid, August 2, 2021. COFIDES is supporting Grupo Ortiz in the design, construction, provision and maintenance of the Bosa Hospital in Colombia. To this end, it will acquire a shareholding percentage of up to 45% of the project company, Promotora Hospital de Bosa, S.A.S., and 45% of the subordinated debt, for a maximum amount of 11 million euros. The financing will come from COFIDES' own resources and the Fund for Foreign Investment (FIEX). The total investment of this project is approximately 77 million euros.

This hospital is included in Colombia's 2016-2020 District Development Plan, which, among its objectives, includes the improvement of the provision of health services. The city of Bosa only has one hospital with 60 beds that does not meet all the hospital needs of the area. The infrastructure that Grupo Ortiz will implement includes a plan to build four buildings that will expand the public health network with 215 new beds.

This project is also strategic for Grupo Ortiz, as it will contribute to its internationalisation process and to strengthening its position in the health infrastructure sector.

COFIDES and Grupo Ortiz have previously collaborated on two road concession projects as part of the 4G road infrastructure programme in Colombia.

The COFIDES chairman, José Luis Curbelo, has pointed out that it is very significant to be able to participate in the progress and development of Colombia through the implementation of a hospital. "Facilitating investment in the health sector is very important for COFIDES, especially at the present time, which has highlighted the need to support public-private collaborations to improve health infrastructure in Latin America, one of the world's regions that has been most affected by the pandemic." In addition, "COFIDES views supporting the health sector in developing countries as a strategic line of action in the future", concluded the company's chairman.

As for Grupo Ortiz, its chairman, Juan Antonio Carpintero, has shown his interest in participating in the concessions with multilateral financing that Colombia has been carrying out currently and in previous years, which will surely be an important milestone in its development and progress. He has also pointed out that "the joint participation with COFIDES is a source of great satisfaction for our company, which will be a guarantee of quality and social and economic efficiency in the future of the Bosa Hospital concession.”

CONTRIBUTION TO THE SDGs

The Grupo Ortiz project contributes especially to the achievement of SDG 3 - Health and well-being, since with the construction of the Bosa Hospital, the number of beds in the public healthcare network will increase and it will allow for the creation of a specialised hospital medical unit to set up outpatient and hospital services for the diagnosis of chronic diseases, as well as a primary health care centre with the capacity for 33 outpatient clinics. It also helps to achieve SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth, and SDG 10 - Reduction of inequalities.

ABOUT GRUPO ORTIZ

Grupo Ortiz is a highly diversified group in which its infrastructure and energy concession area stands out in a very significant way. The Group develops infrastructure and energy projects in Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Panama and Japan mainly, as well as in Chile, France and Central America. It offers efficient solutions in sustainable projects that provide great added value and have a high social impact.

ABOUT COFIDES

COFIDES, a State-owned company engaging in the management of State and third-party as well as its own funds, pursues a number of aims: internationalisation of Spain’s economy, furtherance of economic development and fortification of the solvency of companies affected by COVID-19. In addition to the Spanish State, its shareholders include Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Sabadell and Development Bank of Latin America (CAF).