Citizens’ Platform (PO) politicians promised during the election campaign to make use of private capital while building infrastructure in the country within public-private partnership (PPP) system. So far, such projects were scarce in road building. The only exceptions were A1 and A2 highways. Cezary Grabarczyk, the Minister of Infrastructure, promises that railways may hope for big investments.
“A team of representatives of several ministries has been founded. It will prepare a draft of how to build a fast railway between Warsaw and Poznan, Wroclaw and Szczecin in the future. Financing could come from PPP system”, Cezary Grabarczyk said.
He adds that Poland may follow the suit of Spain where local authorities jointly with private companies built the subway.
“Local authorities and private firms may invest in park sites, public buildings or modernization of railways and bus stations”, the minister believed.
Private capital could facilitate spending EU funds. Elzbieta Bienkowska, the Minister of Regional Development, has recently said that because of higher material and labor costs, local authorities lack PLN 2bn (EUR 568m) for the investments in transport and environment.
Cezary Grabarczyk points out that Poland has PLN 121bn to prepare the roads for EURO 2012. He admits that without PPP, this amount is too small.
(PLN 1 = EUR 0.284)