The Central American Economic Integration Bank (BCIE) this month approved a 150,000-dollar contribution to back the Puebla-Panama Plan (PPP), the initiative to physically integrate southern Mexico and Central America. According to BCIE officials, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica are to receive 30,000 dollars each to identify and prepare projects under the framework of the PPP goals: contribute to the area's physical integration, facilitate shipment of goods and reduce transportation costs.

The regional bank intends to participate in the PPP with an initial sum of 608 million dollars in investment projects and 800,000 dollars in pre-investments.