Cezary Podkul

Losses of 19.5% in public markets and 13.7% percent in private equity were partially offset by gains of a 6% gain in real estate. The Canadian pension plan, one of the country’s largest, is now valued at C$44bn, versus C$52bn at the end of last year.

The Municipal and Infrastructure Assurance Corporation, capitalised by Macquarie at $75m as of September 2008, will be able to obtain its licenses to provide bond insurance in all US states and territories more quickly as part of a pilot licensing program.

The $500m private equity fund will support the development of transport, energy and other infrastructure projects in the Latin American country. Ashmore, local partner Inverlink and technical adviser Macquarie have agreed to invest in the fund.

The redevelopment project at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Ontario will be the PPP provider’s fifth hospital project in the province and the second to be carried out on a build-finance basis.

The Florida Department of Transportation has included the $1bn tunnel in its statewide budget for transportation projects but left it off its list of ‘shovel-ready’ projects for stimulus funding. Local officials in Miami-Dade county included the project on their list of ‘shovel-ready’ projects, but will not advance funding toward the project as long as it sits on FDOT’s budget.

Losses of 19.5% in public markets and 13.7% percent in private equity were partially offset by gains of 11.5% percent in infrastructure and 6.0% in real estate. The Canadian pension plan, one of the country’s largest, is now valued at C$44bn, versus C$52bn at the end of last year.

The city has issued a request for proposals for a feasibility study of undertaking a long-term lease of its 11 parking garages. Eventual proceeds would be used to shore-up the finances of the city’s pension, which is only 36% percent funded. Responses are due 20 March.

Meb Somani, formerly the head of oil and gas at Actis, will join 15 other investment professionals in Barclays Capital’s natural resource principal investment group. The group invests Barclays’ balance sheet capital and sits within its investment banking division.

The joint head of the firm’s North American social infrastructure and transportation group led Babcock's bidding for the Indiana Toll Road and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. He will remain active in the North American infrastructure sector.

The UK’s largest airport operator said it will not reach a decision on selling its third-busiest airport until the UK’s Competition Commission releases a final decision on the airport’s ownership early next month.