Italian investors request the urgent adoption of the law of private-public partnerships

Public Private Partnerships as the stimulating factor for the growth of new constructions, was the main theme of discussion on Wednesday night for Italian businessmen and the mayor of Bucharest, Sorin Oprescu, at the event organized by Unimpresa. Italian investors expressed their discontent about the fact that the law of public-private partnership has been in public debate for 4-5 years, but the parliamentaries aren"t rushing to adopt it, even though it could provide a real opportunity for the revival of the new constructions segment.

Mayor Oprescu said: "The public private partnership is the main target of the Bucharest municipality in this period of crisis. I am a supporter of partnerships with private investors, for the development of the major objectives of the city. We have several ongoing underground parking lot projects with several thousand spots with private investors. We also have ambitious projects in the medical sector, concerning equipment, as well as the construction of new units".

Italian businessmen appreciated the fact that in spite of the crisis, the Mayoralty of Bucharest this year has allocated a significant part of its budget for investments. Stefano Albarosa, the chairman of Unimpresa Romania, said: "The adoption of a law of the public-private partnership is extremely important for foreign investors and for the Romanian economy in this period of crisis. We hope the law will be adopted quickly, after being debated for a long time by the Parliament and the authorities. Romania should pay attention to the signals of private investors because private investments are the engine of economic growth. The public-private partnership is an excellent factor that could cause the resumption of new constructions, especially homes, that Romanians need so badly".

Marius Savu, general manager of the Administration of Hospitals of the Mayoralty of Bucharest, said that the municipality allocated in 2009, around 40 million Euros to equip and modernize 18 hospitals whose administration it took over. The budget allocated this year for that task is approximately 45 million Euros. In the next 2-3 years, the Mayoralty wants to build four new units: a Pediatrics hospital, an adult hospital in Colentina, an extension of the orthopedics hospital Foişor, as well and as a new oral and maxillofacial hospital.