The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador Planning Office (Opamss) has released more than $3.4 billion in scheduled private investment since June 2024, according to its director, Luis Rodríguez. He highlighted that in just the first five months of his administration, $1.1 billion was approved thanks to streamlined procedures.
“Today we have already reached $3.405 billion, only in private investment, mostly housing, which is normal,” Rodríguez said. He took office during the first week of June last year.
Opamss explained that the total amount of projects approved in the past 14 months equals what the institution previously achieved in 10 to 12 years, when annual averages ranged between $300 million and $500 million. Housing accounts for 53 percent of recent projects, while logistics and infrastructure developments have grown as well, with the latter seeing a 19 percent increase in 2025.
In 2024, Opamss granted 295 construction permits across 13 of the original 14 districts of the Metropolitan Area, marking a 31.7 percent increase from 2023. Between January and April of this year alone, 107 permits were issued, representing 4.7 million square meters of construction.
Rodríguez emphasized that the release of projects has motivated investors to pursue additional developments. “Strong real estate companies are coming, along with Salvadorans abroad,” he said. Opamss noted that much of the diaspora’s remittances, once primarily used for consumption, are now being channeled into investment, fueling momentum in the Salvadoran economy.