NHAI eyes bond issue to finance highway projects

Why it is in news?

  • The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will soon issue bonds to finance highway projects, Road Transport and Highways Minister said.
  • Foreign and domestic investments for building roads and highways infrastructure would follow.
  • This is being done to make sure that funds are raised to support and finance roads and highways without any delay
  • Minister  had said in a press conference on Wednesday that NHAI has a AAA rating that would help it tap into the capital markets.
  • He had said that funds to the tune of ₹4-5 lakh crore can be raised from the markets for highway projects. 

Bharatmala

  • The Cabinet also  approved the BharatMala Pariyojana to build 34,800 km roads worth ₹5.35 lakh crore.
  • It would include building economic corridors, inter-corridor and feeder routes, national corridors efficiency improvement, border roads and international connectivity, coastal roads and port connectivity and greenfield expressways.
  • For Bharatmala, ₹2.09 lakh crore will be raised as debt from the market and ₹1.06 lakh crore will be mobilised through public-private partnership (PPP). The remaining ₹2.19 lakh crore will flow from accruals of the Central Road Funds and toll projects.

 Source: The Hindu

Posted by Jawwad Kazi on 27th Oct 2017