BRATISLAVA, August 14, (WEBNOVINY) – The Transport Ministry will be able to spend EUR 475 million to secure the contract on operation of the railway infrastructure and contracts on transportation services in public interest within passenger railway transportation next year. Compared with the approved budget for this year, this represents a 76.7-percent increase, or an increase of EUR 206.13 million. This stems from the draft state budget for next year, which the Finance Ministry submitted for interdepartmental review last week.
The proposed state subsidy for the indebted national railway network operator Zeleznice Slovenskej Republiky (ZSR) in 2012 represents EUR 270 million, up 126 percent y/y, or an increase of EUR 150.5 million. The subsidy for passenger railway transportation, provided by Zeleznicna Spolocnost Slovensko (ZSSK), a.s., is to swell by 37.2-percent from this year to EUR 205 million.
According to the draft budget, the increase in funding for the state-run railway companies creates preconditions for stabilization in railway transportation, while as of 2012, the state will fulfill all its liabilities against the railway companies. Therefore, ZSR and ZSSK should no longer generate losses.
The state’s support for the railway infrastructure are to decrease in the next years: to EUR 260 million in 2013 and to EUR 250 million in 2014. Subsidies for the passenger railway transportation are to remain at the planned level of EUR 205 million in the next years, too.
SITA
