More than COP 350 billion invested by Grupo Empresarial Argos and its allies to transform lives in vulnerable municipalities

• 19 companies have joined the initiative led by the organization through Grupo Argos, Cementos Argos, Celsia, and Odinsa.
• More than 30 projects have benefited 400,000 people in Zomac and PDET municipalities in Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Cauca, and Sucre.
• In the case of Antioquia, Grupo Argos, together with Bancolombia and Proantioquia, leads the Obras por Impuestos Roundtable, aimed at providing knowledge and support to more than 40 companies for executing projects under this mechanism.

By the end of 2024, the companies of Grupo Empresarial Argos contributed nearly COP 250 billion to the Obras por Impuestos mechanism, solidifying the organization as one of the top corporate contributors to this initiative.

Beyond this contribution, 19 additional companies from various sectors across the country have placed their trust in the expertise and experience of Grupo Argos and its businesses, collectively contributing COP 100 billion. This means that, in total, COP 350 billion has been mobilized to develop more than 30 projects that have transformed the lives of 400,000 people in municipalities classified as Zonas Más Afectadas por el Conflicto Armado (Zomac) and those with Programas de Desarrollo con Enfoque Territorial (PDET).

The company identified that many businesses, despite having the capacity to contribute income taxes, lacked the technical expertise to structure and execute civil works projects. Grupo Empresarial Argos’ Obras por Impuestos initiative has demonstrated that by combining capabilities, development and transformation opportunities for the country can be significantly expanded, creating shared value.

“We are convinced of our role in nation-building through our businesses. That is why we have taken the lead in creating and strengthening the Obras por Impuestos management model, making it a national benchmark. Thanks to this, we have effectively coordinated efforts between the National Government (through the Agency for Territorial Renewal, the DNP, and ministries), regional governments, municipalities, communities, taxpayers, international cooperation organizations, and decentralized entities.”

Carlos Gómez, Director of Technical Advisory at Cementos Argos and leader of this initiative.

Obras por Impuestos initiative led by Grupo Empresarial Argos has mobilized approximately 12% of the total investments made to date under this mechanism in Colombia. Of these resources, 75% has been allocated to tertiary road infrastructure and the remaining 25% to the education sector.

Key Projects:

Antioquia

• Improvement of the Dabeiba – Camparrusia road: 4.1 kilometers benefiting over 24,000 people.
• Improvement of road infrastructure between Alto de La Quiebra and Santo Domingo: 9.1 kilometers benefiting over 25,000 people.
• Construction contract for the Las Cruces vehicular bridge on the Dabeiba road: benefiting over 24,000 people.
• Initiation of the process for building basic educational infrastructure for La Pérez School in Quebradona, Ituango: a 1,443 m² area directly benefiting 600 people.
• Initiation of the process for constructing a pedestrian bridge over the Cauca River in Puerto Bélgica (Cáceres): benefiting over 30,000 people.

Cauca

• Construction, improvement, and paving of the Suárez – Betulia road in the municipality of Suárez.
• Construction and paving of the Morales – Pan de Azúcar road (Phase I).
• Improvement and paving of the Morales – Pan de Azúcar road (Phase II) in the municipality of Morales.

Tolima

• Provision of school furniture for public educational institutions in Chaparral.
• Provision of computers and ICT training for public educational institutions in Ataco.

A High-Impact Mechanism

This initiative has proven to be a powerful tool for community development, allowing companies to contribute to the comprehensive transformation of territories, fostering stronger relationships with local communities, and boosting local economies.

In the coming months, new projects will be added, with an additional investment of approximately COP 150 billion, focusing on road infrastructure, educational facilities, and potable water and sanitation systems.