If the governing Smer party again opts for public-private partnership projects (PPP) in motorway construction or for signing contract addendums, it will prove that it aims to govern the country with an "after us, the deluge may come" approach, Christian Democratic Movement’s chairman and former transport minister Ján Figeľ said on Monday, August 13, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
"By saying that no addendum can be signed (within PPP projects) the premier has undercut the actions of his own nominee," said Figeľ in reference to former transport minister Ľubomír Vážny. It was Vážny who as a minister during Fico's first government (2006-10) signed such addendums, Figeľ added. "An addendum that was signed even before the construction of a highway began in 2010 – which increased the total price of the PPP project by some €1.3 billion – is the mother of all addendums," said Figeľ for TASR.
According to Figeľ, this whopping extra cost item was higher than all other extra expenditures incurred via addendums concerning motorway construction combined.
The Sme daily wrote that the Fico-led government is considering returning to PPP projects for financing highway construction and other big state orders, arguing that such an approach does not allow addendums.
(Source: TASR, Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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