On December 3, FONPLATA — Development Bank celebrated its 50th anniversary in Uruguay, with the participation of the Governor for Uruguay and Minister of Economy and Finance, Azucena Arbeleche, as well as national and departmental authorities, representatives of international organizations, development experts, and members of civil society. The ceremony highlighted the Bank’s achievements over the past five decades and its positive impact on the region.

FONPLATA's Executive President, Luciana Botafogo, underscored the Institution’s consolidation as a flexible and accessible financing bank, adapted to the needs of each member country. She highlighted the support provided to Uruguay in the execution of strategic projects, which have been critical for its development and well-being, and reaffirmed the commitment to continue supporting its growth in the coming decades.

On her speech, Governor Azucena Arbeleche stated that FONPLATA has not only been a solid source of funding, but also a strategic ally in providing key expertise in times of adversity. She mentioned the bank's support during the COVID-19 pandemic, when loans were granted to maintain the liquidity of Small and Midsize Enterprises, as well as during the water emergency and to improve the national road network, especially for agro-industrial and forestry cargo transportation.

FONPLATA’s Vice-President for Operations and Countries, Eliana Dam, pointed out the growth of the Bank’s project portfolio in the last years, referred to sovereign and non-sovereign risk operations, and highlighted the expansion of its scope through sanitation and drinking water projects, as well as the improvement of the competitiveness of the national road network, linked to the transportation of agro-industrial and forestry cargo, as well as its integration with the railway network.

During the activity, economist Juan Carlos Hallak, PhD in Economics from Harvard University, gave a presentation entitled Impulso Uruguay 2025: Innovación y Transformación para el Crecimiento (Promoting Uruguay: 2025: Innovation and Transformation for Growth).

Since its foundation, in 1974, the Bank’s mission has been to promote economic and social development in its member countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Throughout these 50 years, it has played a key role in funding infrastructure, health, sanitation, drinking water, and urban development projects, making significant contributions to regional integration and improving the living conditions of millions of people.

12/04/2024