EBRD to finance Moldovan railways’ rehabilitation
On February 7 Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat held a meeting with representatives of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the government’s communication and media relations department has reported.
The officials discussed the EBRD’s willingness to offer financial support to rehabilitate Moldovan roads, provide technical assistance to carry out a feasibility study of the rehabilitation of the state railway enterprise Calea Ferata din Moldova (CFM) and to back the modernisation of the Chisinau International Airport.
The head of the EBRD’s transport department, Sue Barrett, said the EBRD is willing to ensure the elaboration of the CFM’s reformation plan and to offer the necessary support to implement it in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB).
«We are ready to start negotiations on the CFM’s reformation and optimisation project, which should also include the rehabilitation and renovation plan of the CFM’s wagons. In cooperation with the EIB, we will offer Moldova a 50-million-euros loan to modernise the CFM,» Barrett said.
The project will optimise operational costs and lower them by 25 per cent, through implementing energy efficiency and optimising costs in other sectors. As a result, the consumers will enjoy lower costs and higher-quality services.
The EBRD also voiced its availability to provide Moldova with an additional loan to back the rehabilitation of its roads. The officials discussed the opportunity to fulfil Moldova’s request of 21 September 2012 and offer it a 150-million-euros loan to restore roads.
In the same context, Barrett voiced the EBRD’s availability to respond to Moldovan government’s request and help it modernise the Chisinau International Airport.
Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat thanked the EBRD for backing the implementation of a string of important projects in Moldova.
Filat said the Moldovan government will soon approve a decision that provides for qualitative internal parameters of road rehabilitation projects that contractors should meet.
In the same context, Filat assured the EBRD representatives that the Moldovan government will take all the necessary measures to modernise the Chisinau International Airport.
Adapted from Moldpres