El Salvador’s Land Management and Construction Bureau (DOT) has unlocked more than $11.8 billion in construction investment since launching operations in May 2025. Presenting to the Legislative Assembly’s Infrastructure Committee on September 7, DOT Director María Paola Bardi announced that the capital release spans 2,984 approved applications, including $8.22 billion in nationwide integrated permits and $3.6 billion across individual developments in the San Salvador Metropolitan Area.
This influx reflects a sweeping overhaul aimed at modernizing land-use administration for projects 250 square meters or larger across the country. Through a systematic digitization effort, the agency reduced its construction permit requirements from 2,262 to just 336, cutting bureaucratic red tape by over 85% while digitizing 34 administrative procedures. Addressing lawmakers, Bardi emphasized the strategic vision behind these reforms: “We understood that making the process easier from start to finish was key to driving investment.”
The approved funding spans diverse sectors, led by $3.85 billion in direct construction and $2.85 billion in urban development, along with major allocations for urban complexes and agricultural land division. To ensure regulatory oversight across these projects, the agency’s central registry has enrolled 9,089 certified professionals and construction service providers nationwide.
Beyond economic expansion, the regulatory framework incorporates direct environmental initiatives. The bureau has collected $3.8 million for a pilot environmental compensation fund, which will be channeled into protecting water resources and sustaining the ecological corridor connecting El Imposible National Park and Barra de Santiago.