MPIC still interested in Indonesia, Malaysia tollway opportunities

MANILA, Philippines - Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) remains interested in tollway opportunities in Indonesia and Malaysia, even as deals being eyed earlier did not push through.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco told reporters that while the deals in Malaysia and Indonesia did not materialize, the company is still looking at opportunities available in the two countries.

“We’re still looking at two countries,” he said.

Last year, MPIC chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said the company was shortlisted for the operations of a 100-kilometer tollway project in Indonesia.

MPIC was also in talks with a listed Malaysian firm for a 50-kilometer tollway project covering around 50-km in Kuala Lumpur.

Franco said the parties in Indonesia and Malaysia decided not to pursue the deals.

While the deals did not push through, he said the company would continue to monitor developments on the projects, as well as look at other opportunities in the two countries.

Both Indonesia and Malaysia are attractive for MPIC given the high car sales in the two countries.

Data from the ASEAN Automotive Federation showed Indonesia sold 1.062 million cars last year.

Franco said the company is interested in projects in the island of Java in Indonesia.

Vehicle sales in Malaysia reached 580,124 units last year.

In addition to high car sales, Franco said Malaysia is also attractive because of the culture of toll payments.

“I think last count we saw, there are more than 30 toll road concessions. And if you go to Malaysia, there are interconnected tollways…It seems that they have already accepted the principle of user pays. To get quality infrastructure, they are amenable to paying toll.  That’s the attraction,” he said.

“Once we have those two countries, then, we’ll have a Pan-ASEAN presence,” he said.