BRATISLAVA, March 14, (WEBNOVINY) — SMER-SD Chairman Robert Fico says that Prime Minister Iveta Radicova did not make arrangements for additional sources from other operational programs for highways in Brussels. “The only thing she achieved was that Barroso told her that no additional sources could be earmarked for highways from the Operational Program Transport. They have nothing. They are acting out unbelievable lies and games at the expense of Slovak citizens,” said Fico at a press meeting Monday.
Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso agreed that the Slovak Republic can use additional sources from operational programs that it does not use up within the set deadline for completion of the D1 highway. Radicova said that the Commission showed “understanding” for completion of the D1 highway.” “They understood why we did not want to proceed with PPP projects,” she added. Fico’s government promoted PPP projects but the current government finds them disadvantageous and refuses to continue with the third PPP package.
Radicova settled on three main principles regarding completion of the D1 highway with Barroso. The first refers to acceleration of EU funds drawing for already contracted projects, which has been very low and amounted to only about 17 percent so far. The second principle concerns reallocation of sources from the Operational Program Transport with the exception of railways and the third and the most disputable principle deals with the possibility of transferring sources for highway construction from other operational programs that have resources left over.
SITA