Interview with Samuel Moreno

Mayor of Bogota
Date: 16th of April 2008

You just celebrated 100 days at the head of the city, what are the main objectives of your mandate?

I will tell you about the objectives we have, to develop the “Bogotá Positiva” plan. There are some very interesting objectives that are standing out. First of all “Bogotá, city of rights”, which guarantees the fundamental rights of the citizens of Bogotá, like the right of health, education, housing, alimentation, employment, either the rights to improve the daily live of the people are something we are really dedicated to.

Another fundamental objective is the improvement of the infrastructure of the city. We have to improve the mobility and the massive transportation like the launching of the metro in Bogotá, the current municipality is very involved in this project, meant to change the face of the city, but also other like trains and the Transmilenio and improving and constructing roads. But we also have to improve the environment so we will have a better quality of the air and protect the rivers we have left in our city.

Bogotá has had a very important economic growth and we have to make sure that its growth will always be higher than the country’s and Latin America’s average. An economic growth always leads to new employment and incomes. I think Colombia’s competitiveness will improve together with the infrastructure.

Bogotá is the main national tourist destination for national and international visitors. 60% of the foreign investors invest here in Bogotá. Also, Bogotá is responsible for almost 25% of the GDP of Colombia. Thanks to the improvement of the security indicators, we can say that Colombia is a safe city to invest and visit.

What are the strengths of Bogotá, compared to the other Colombian and Latin American cities when it comes to doing business?

Today, Bogotá is the most important city in the Andean region, the fourth most important business city of Latin America and number 11 of materialistic competitiveness of the 42 important Latin American cities. The economic potential of Bogotá is the strength of the companies providing services. Bogotá has had a very important transformation in the last 10 years and today we consider Bogotá as a safe and guaranteed city for investment. In the international society Bogotá is very attractive, because of the improvement of the human development rate and the life quality of the habitants and the decrease of poverty.
Also Bogotá has received a lot of recognition lately, like “Bogotá global capital of books”, “Bogotá, capital of culture”, the “Golden Lion” in Venetia, etc. So there are a lot of awards and we are sure that the people who visit Bogotá will love the city and will be our best ambassadors.

What are the main changes the city has to make to improve its competitiveness?

When it comes to competitiveness we still have a lot to do. We have to improve our infrastructure and our connectivity and get more households with broadband and wireless internet. Of course these sectors have been growing but it is obvious that we have to grow even more to become more competitive. At the same time we are working on the improvement of technology and the structure of the airport.

What would be your Bogotá, what do you like more of your city?

I like the every day Bogotá, my Bogotá is the combination of the friendly, nice people, the parks, the children, the historic and traditional zone, La Candelaria, the attractive nightlife with the very good restaurants and the good business atmosphere.

What would be your personal message to our readers and the people who wish to invest in Bogotá?

I send a very special invitation to everybody who reads this, Bogotá is a beautiful city that has improved a lot when it comes to quality of life and infrastructure. It is a city with a lot of ambitions and a lot to offer. Bogotá contrasts the modern buildings with the traditional and a historic value. It is a city you will enjoy and where you will always find a smile to receive you, you are most welcome; Bogotá positiva is waiting for you.