tHE BRATISLAVA, October 17, (WEBNOVINY) – The government will save almost EUR 332 million by stopping funding highway construction via PPP projects on three planned stretches, stated Transport Minister Jan Figel on the regular political debate program Na Telo of private television Markiza broadcast Sunday noon. ”That can mean obtaining funds for additional stretches,” he stated. While the opposition is speaking about halting the construction of highways, Figel is announcing only a change in the philosophy of its funding. “We might have stopped business to someone,” the transport minister remarked in reaction to the opposition’s criticism. He wants to use EU funds and the state budget instead of PPP projects to build highways.
The transport minister believes that EU funds are the cheapest available sources. Nonetheless, they require transparency. The ministry is currently holding talks about the construction of the D1 highway stretch below Zilina, namely from Hricovske Podhradie to Dubna Skala, where there will be the longest tunnel. Furthermore, the minister plans to sign a contract on building the missing stretch below Spissky Hrad and in November, a tender to select the construction supervisor for the stretch near Levoca should be announced. These are the three stretches where the cost cuts have been calculated at EUR 332 million compared with the original proposal of the former government of Robert Fico. The saved costs are to be used for building additional stretches of the D1 highway and repairing first category roads.
Deputy leader of the strongest opposition party the SMER-SD Robert Kalinak pointed out that the price of highways could have been bargained in PPP projects, too. He added that the original price estimate of EUR 900 million was reduced to some EUR 690 million thanks to negotiations and the development of the economic crisis. He is convinced that highways will not be built in Slovakia in the near future. “No one has made such a fatal mistake in Slovakia and in this case it lies directly on your shoulders,” he said to his partner in discussion. According to the former interior minister, Figel’s decisions will be reflected in halting the development of the poorest Slovak regions around Spisska Nova Ves, Levoca and Dolny Kubin in northern Slovakia. He concluded by saying that the highway construction in Povazie region showed how a highway can contribute to lowering the unemployment rate.
SITA