Shant Boyajian Discusses Potential Infrastructure Platforms for Presidential Candidates

Shant Boyajian was quoted extensively in the Infralogic story “News Analysis: Presidential Candidates' messaging short on infrastructure overhauls.” The piece queries a number of high-level professionals in the infrastructure industry on the proposals they would like to see the U.S. presidential candidates implement to lower barriers to private infrastructure investment.

Discussing how the next presidential administration could help spur investment, Shant said, “If you really want private investment in infrastructure to occur, you need to have projects that are capable of achieving an investment grade rating. So, anything that would impede that will have a corresponding chilling effect on any private investment in infrastructure. One way to think about it is, how to incentivize private investment by reducing the level of risks in these projects. Regulatory risk is one area that the candidates will have some influence over once they are in office.”  

Shant added, “One of the things that the candidates should push for is for the environment to be protected, and the impact of projects identified and mitigated, while still allowing those projects to move forward…That will provide predictability to projects, and more certainty to investors.”

Additionally, he said he believes “candidates should also commit to support reauthorizing the IIJA, which will expire in the next presidential term…they should commit to supporting it with long-term reauthorization of those programs at the funding levels established by the IIJA. That will demonstrate to the private sector the federal government's commitment to modernizing public infrastructure."

Shant also noted, “The U.S. is not seeing pure revenue-risk projects,” saying that most projects have some element of public funding. "A long-term reauthorization of the IIJA will ensure the ongoing availability of public funds needed to facilitate projects that are ripe for private investment.”