New law for toll roads
15/07/2014 00:00
The Washington Agreement Must Be Reactivated! 06/01 19:04
The government has decided to built new roads and pass the maintenance
of the existing ones through a concession with the private operators.
“Due to the inherited financial situation, it is impossible for us to offer these services. We need another way, which is offering public services to private operators with a rational cost and improved services”, Ahmetaj declared.
Ahmetaj explained the MPs at the Parliamentary Commission of Economy that the decision has been taken after a detailed study on the situation of the national infrastructure.
“There are no limitations. We are seeing some roads in the north and south, which are an obstacle for the economic development, and the state budget cannot fund them. We are scrutinizing the possibilities to offer partnerships to private operators”, declared Minister Ahmetaj.
The first road that will have a payment for citizens is the Durres-Kukes highway, which has a constantly increasing cost. The government hopes to fund its conclusion through private operators.
Erion Brace, Socialist MP and leader of the Commission of Economy: Although we have spent 1.1 billion EUR for this road, we must pay again?
Arben Ahmetaj: Not even 1.1 billion. It has gone up to 1.3 billion, and requires other 100 millions.
The construction of roads has had a cost of 500 million USD each year, funded from the state budget through the taxes of citizens and public debt.
The Minister of Economic Development declared tat the cost of canceling concessions might go up to 2.5% of the GDP.
“If we would remove all concessions that were built without transparency, which is an alternative, the budget cost might mount up to 250 million EUR. Imagine the burden that was created to the citizens by the previous government”, Ahmetaj declared.
New taxes, government plans rejected
The MPs of the majority at the Parliamentary Commission of Economy have rejected the initiative of the government to establish two new national tax, one on phone SIMs and one on vehicles.
During the discussion of the draft, all MPs were against these two taxes and voted against the article. The Ministry of Finances had foreseen an annual tax on every cellphone sim card and vehicles, in order to cover expenses of Emergency Rooms.
Both taxes would have brought 6 million USD to the annual state budget.
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