The Rutas del Este consortium, formed by Spain's Sacyr and Paraguay's Ocho A, has received approximately US$374 million since 2022 for the concession of the PY02 highway in eastern Paraguay under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. The data was presented by the Minister of Public Works, Claudia Centurión, during a hearing before the Senate's board of directors this week.
Of the total paid, US$244 million corresponds to the Deferred Investment Payment (PDI), a mechanism that remunerates the consortium for the execution of the works. This amount represents almost half of the US$517 million planned for the highway's duplication and will be settled over 15 years, until 2037. Another US$117.8 million was allocated to the Availability Payment (PPD), which covers operation and maintenance, while US$12.2 million refers to the Traffic Volume-Linked Payment (VVT).
Centurión explained that the funds come from a trust supplied by toll collections from Ypacaraí and Nueva Londres. However, when revenue is insufficient, the National Treasury covers the difference. In 2025, for example, 80.2% of the payments to the concessionaire came from state contributions, although the minister stated that the public share in the model would be around 40%. The discrepancy led lawmakers to request clarification on the methodology used to calculate this percentage.
The PPP contract stipulates that Rutas del Este will receive about US$1.7 billion over the 30-year concession, excluding possible addenda. Despite the amounts already disbursed, critical sections of the PY02, such as the Pedrozo crossing, remain without definitive solutions and continue to record fatal accidents. The highway is one of the busiest in the country, connecting Asunción to the eastern region, bordering Brazil.