Stiri	Stiri afaceri	Stiri companii	Evenimente de afaceri

Romania to make outstanding payments worth EUR 90 mn to Bechtel in two tranches

The Romanian state will make outstanding payments worth 90 million euros to the U.S. Bechtel Company in two tranches by end-2011, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Anca Boagiu said on Wednesday at the Victoria Palace (the gov't offices).

'The outstanding amounts we must pay stand at 90 million euros. The money will be paid in two tranches, one immediately after the budget revision and the second one at the end of 2011,' Anca Boagiu said.

According to the transport minister, the cost of 6.9 million euros per km to build the Transylvania motorway slid from 14.7 million euros, namely the price for the stretches already built.

'If we take into account the completed segments, the price per kilometer dropped from 14.7 million euros and if we think about all costs, including lawyers, from 24 million euros,' Minister Boagiu pointed out.

The final cost for the two stretches constructed by Bechtel runs to 3.8 billion euros and the saving following the renegotiation of the contract amounts to 6 billion euros.

So far 54 km of motorway have been built for a cost of 1.25 billion euros.

'We have a stretch almost completed and another one is to be finalized. The state is free to put out to tender the other six stretches for which Bechtel did not submit any bid. There was a clause saying that we must not put the remaining stretches up to tender. But now we can,' Boagiu also said.

Anca Boagiu stressed the fact that the outcome of the bargaining was possible thanks to the support of the U.S. embassy to Bucharest, the Romanian Government and President Traian Basescu. 'Today we reached an outcome favourable to the Romanian state. We have obtained it being backed by the U.S. Embassy, the Government and President Traian Basescu,' she said.

According to the press release sent by the US Embassy in Bucharest, U.S. Ambassador Mark H. Gitenstein said in his statement: 'I am pleased that both Bechtel and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure were able to come together to reach a solution on this important project. This result is a success for all parties, but especially for the people of Romania who will begin to enjoy the benefits of a modern highway system in these regions for years to come.(...) I strongly encourage the Government of Romania to embrace this agreement and to insure its smooth implementation in the same spirit of partnership and pragmatism that produced this deal. Our goal now should be to complete these sections of the Transylvania Motorway with no further delays.'

The Romanian Government decided to adopt a new payment method for the Transylvania Motorway as part of a package accepted by U.S. contractor Bechtel. « The preliminary agreement will need to be ratified by the Romanian Government, at which time the final agreement can be put in place », Gitenstein said.

The Bechtel Company that is building the Transylvania motorway renounces to some segments without receiving compensation from the Romanian state following negotiations held with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, Prime Minister Emil Boc said on Wednesday after the Government meeting.

The Transylvania motorway, to be built between Bors and Brasov will have 415 km, out of which over 55 km of bridges and viaducts, 94 footbridges, 58 overcrossings and 16 road junctions.

Although the construction works have been started in proportion of 26 percent, with only 12.5 percent currently underway, the all-in allotted expenditures made so far over 2004-2011 run to 5.2 billion lei.

The first 42 km of the Transylvania motorway between Turda and Gilau, close to Cluj have been inaugurated on Dec. 1, 2009 and in Nov. 2010 the rest of the section near the Campia Turzii.

Sursa: http://www.actmedia.eu

Tags: boagiu transylvania motorway government euros million outstanding bechtel tranches romanian romania

Articole similare