A. M. 
The Infrastructure and Territorial Development Commission approved the reform to the Law of Development and Territorial Planning of the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (AMSS) to include the municipalities of La Libertad Este and Costa. According to official data, the AMSS represents 33% of the national GDP, houses 41% of the companies in El Salvador and is responsible for 60% of the jobs in the country.
The proposal was presented by the mayors of La Libertad Este and Costa, who seek to join the Consejo de Alcaldes del AMSS (COAMSS). The municipalities benefited include Antiguo Cuscatlán, Huizúcar, Nuevo Cuscatlán, San José Villanueva, Zaragoza, Chiltiupán, Jicalapa, Tamanique and Teotepeque, as part of a strategy to promote development in their areas.
Projects in Execution
Luis Rodríguez, director of the Oficina de Planificación del Área Metropolitana de San Salvador (COAMSS/OPAMSS), explained that the incorporation of these municipalities is key to creating an investment corridor towards La Libertad Costa. “La Libertad Este has the largest number of projects in progress and La Libertad Costa is a strong tourism product with favorable conditions for private investment”, he commented.
Rodríguez highlighted the investments that the Government has made in infrastructure, such as the bypass and the expansion of roads, as well as the tourism projects on the boardwalk and Sunset Park. These advances seek to consolidate the relationship between the territories and attract investments that benefit both La Libertad and the AMSS.
One of the most important aspects is the labor and social connection between the two municipalities and the AMSS. It is estimated that 60% of the inhabitants of La Libertad Este and Costa travel daily to the metropolitan area to work, which demonstrates an inevitable integration between these territories, which will now be formalized with this reform.
AMSS Development and Territorial Planning Law
The initiative also seeks to promote sustainable development through the creation of infrastructure networks, improve economic synergies and attract new investments. One of the most ambitious proposals is the development of 15-minute centralities in La Libertad Este, connecting the economic areas of the AMSS with the Coastal Tourist Corridor.
Likewise, Rodríguez highlighted that the proposal has the support of key actors, such as the Cámara Salvadoreña de la Construcción (CASALCO), and that the reforms promoted by the government of President Nayib Bukele continue to improve the business and investment climate in El Salvador.
