The Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism (MTCT) wants to speed up infrastructure works by resorting to concession contracts on segments of motorway, according to Minister Radu Berceanu. The official stated in a broadcast talk show Tuesday night that he was considering implementation of this procedure, seen as “European and fair,” and announced that all necessary steps in this respect are to be initiated in the Government. “I hope we will go for this concession option on certain segments of the motorway, because this means shorter delivery times,” the Minister explained.

In Romania, the main issue has to do with the infrastructure, a drawback emphasised more than once by foreign officials and acknowledged by some national authorities as well. The motorway construction rate is still rather modest, with only 20 km of the Bucharest – Constanta motorway (Fetesti-Cernavoda segment) to be finalised this year, and possibly another 38 km in 2007. Moreover, construction of the Bucharest-Brasov motorway, a EUR 1.4 bln project, and of the Ploiesti-Focsani segment of the 9th Corridor (in a public-private partnership) will be launched next spring.

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