This list of priority projects, together worth around EUR8 billion, was agreed upon by the Government with the International Monetary Fund at the end of last year. At the time, most of them were at little over 0% completion. For many of these projects, contracted in 2009-2011, the Government has pledged to push their progress close to 50%, unless they are due this year. According to the calendar, the projects must be completed in 2012-2015.
Data on the projects’ progress as of February 29 indicates no change for almost half of the investments.
Work on the modernization of water supply systems in counties Botosani, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Mures, Brasov, Galati and Valcea, integrated solid waste management in Arges, the rehabilitation of the heating distribution system in Ramnicu Valcea and the construction of a beltway for Carei have remained at 0% completion, the same as in the case of other projects whose progress expectations for this year have been revised downward. This category includes the construction of the Sacuieni beltway (50% completion now expected by the end of the year, from 77%), bridge rehabilitation for CFR Brasov, Constanta and Timisoara (from 89-99% to 40-80%), and upgrades for railway stations Giurgiu Oas, Slobozia Veche and Calarasi Sud (from 99.5% to 40%).
Progress on other investments has not exceeded 5% or even 0.5%. This is the case with:
– upgrade works on the water infrastructure in counties: Arad (from 0% to 1.4%, with a target for this year of 10%), Iasi (from 1.2% to 2.5%, target of 14.2%), Timis (from 0% to 0.03%, target of 10%), Covasna (from 0% to 0.47%, target of 10%), Neamt (from 0% to 0.05%, target of 10%), Bacau (from 0% to 0.58%, target of 5%), Bistrita-Nasaud (from 5.16% to 5.75%, target of 30%), Prahova (from 0% to 1.4%, target of 5%) and Dolj (from 0% to 0.07%, target of 5%);
– integrated solid waste management in counties: Vrancea (from 1.6% to 1.8%, target of 77%), Neamt (from 0.17% to 1.17%, target of 59%), Cluj (from 0.06% to 0.26%, target of 60%), Timis (from 54.5% to 55.6%, target of 78%), Covasna (from 0.29% to 0.97%, target of 44%), Olt (from 0.26% to 0.31%, target of 35%), Calarasi (from 0.34% to 0.38%, target of 33%), Bacau (from 1.6% to 1.7%, target of 31%), Vaslui (from 0.03% to 0.44%, target of 45%), Mures (from 0.34% to 3.44%, target of 87%), Salaj (from 0% to 3.1%, target of 51%) and Sibiu (from 0.75% to 2.92%, target of 65%).
Projects which have seen similarly modest progress include:
– rehabilitation of a polluted site in Crangurile commune, Dambovita county (from 0.05% to 1.7%, target of 72%);
– monitoring the conservation status of Romanian species and habitats (from 0.03% to 0.04%, target of 72%);
– rehabilitation of the heating distribution system in Iasi (from 0.10% to 1%, target of 11%), Bacau (from 8.9% to 9.8%, target of 25%), Timisoara (from 0.66% to 0.70%, target of 12%), Oradea (from 0% to 0.05%, target of 10%) and Focsani (from 0% to 1.17%, target of 10%);
– construction of Orastie-Sibiu highway (from 0% to 2-4.5% for various sections, target of 40%);
– construction of Caracal beltway (from 0% to 3%, target of 99%);
– implementation of electronic health records (from 0% to 1%, target of 80%);
– rehabilitation of Valcea emergency hospital (from 0% to 3%, target of 35%);
– construction of an underpass to ease road traffic in the Craiova metropolitan area (from 0% to 3%, target of 35%).
Other projects stuck at the same low level of completion are for the modernization of the water system in counties Braila (at 1.5% with a target for this year of 16.5%) and Suceava (3.22%, target of 10.22%) and to improve the efficiency of energy consumption at Prefabricate Vest Patru Bucuresti (10%, target of 90%).
Unusually, the authorities have revised the completion of the integrated waste management project in Suceava county from 29.41% last year to 15.7%, with a target of 30% by the end of the year, while the implementation of a new signaling system on the rail line between Buftea and Brazi has remained at 0% completion, although its target for this year has been raised from 25% to 50%.
In the last two months, the following projects have seen progress:
– upgrade of water system in counties Tulcea (from 36% to 47%, with a target of 54%), Teleorman (from 6% to 22.7%, target of 27%), Calarasi (from 42% to 54%, target of 62%), Vrancea (from 5.50% to 22.28%, target of 35%), Ilfov (from 1.30% to 6.5%, target of 11%), Hunedoara (from 0.16% to 6.91%, with a target revised from 10% to 13%) and Turda region (from 45% to 67%, with a target revised from 65% to 83%);
– integrated waste management system in counties Giurgiu (from 14% to 45%, with a target of 100%), Arad (from 38.9% to 63.7%, target of 80%), Botosani (from 3.98% to 14.8%, target of 53%);
– Natura 2000 projects (from 0% to 22%, with a target revised from 86% to 100%).
On the site of the Cernavoda-Constanta highway, work has advanced on the Cernavoda-Medgidia section from 5% to 15%, and on the Medgidia-Constanta section from 65% to 71%; the authorities want both to be completed by the end of this year. On the Arad-Timisoara highway’s construction site, work has advanced from 83% to 98.8% completion, while the construction of Alexandria beltway has advanced from 4% to 12.4%, with a target of 82% for this year.
In the case of the advanced pharmaceutical research platform, the project has progressed from 2% completion to 20% and should be completed by the end of the year, while the development of the LED research laboratory for the domestic car industry has also advanced from 7% to 20%, with a target of 80%.
Progress has also been made on:
– the development of the electronic medical prescription control system, from 0% to 30%, with a target of 100% for this year;
– the creation of a recreation center, including golf courses and swimming pools, in Fantanele commune, Arad county (from 20% to 40%, target of 100%);
– the development of the West gate Business Center (from 8% to 40%, target of 100%);
– the upgrade of Dorobantilor Boulevard in Braila (from 21% to 30%, target of 90%);
– the upgrade of the tram line on the route Manastur-Piata Garii in Cluj-Napoca (from 13% to 33%, target of 80%).