Peruvian delegation showcase trade opportunities

SENIOR investment officials from Peru have visited the North West for the first time to drum-up interest in export and investment opportunities in  the South Amercian country.

Javier Illescas, an economist and executive director of ProInversion, Peru’s private investment promotion agency, said there are “many, many opportunities” for North West businesses in not only transport infrastructure, but in waste management, energy and sanitation.

Mr Illescas, who is meeting financiers in London this week and also attending the Infrarail event there too, met with a number of regional businesses as well as local officials from UK Trade and Investment during his two day visit to Manchester.

“We have a very stable, growing economy – with growth of 6.5% between 2002-2012. There is a very significant  investment programme on-going – in our public-private portfolio there is $15bn alone. Projects include the first subway line in the Metro system in Lima.

“We are keen to have more competition in the market so we have come the UK and the North West to raise awareness of what we have got going on.”

He said the UK and EU in general had lost ground to China in terms of exports over the last decade, and was hopeful that a UKTI trade mission to his homeland later this year, would help British firms establish a foothold there.