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“UnionHighway” law promulgated at public ceremony by President Iohannis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace
President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the law approving the investment project Iasi-Targu Mures highway also called Union Highway, saying that Moldova is the only big historic area without a highway, although the project had been on the public agenda for 11 years.
“For this project to finally become a law there had been strong public pressure coming mostly fro despair. I think it is important not to forget how we got here. Over the time, the absence of big infrastructure projects has negative effects on Romania. For instance, Moldova region, although it benefits from human resource of very good quality, it faces acute labour force migration, while the development potential for this area has substantially dropped. Moldova is the only historic region without a highway, although this project has been on the public agenda for 11 years. We are talking about a very long period of time, not conceivable for not finding a solution. By the indolence and amateurism of some politicians this legitimate need has turned into a security or national security matter”, Iohannis said.
“It is sad we still need a law for rulers to be compelled to make concrete steps. That is not the aim of law making. Achieving objectives this way should not have expected a Parliament intervention, the government being the one that holds the levers and resources for the country’s management. The fact that the law maker chose to intervene in this matter sanctions in fact the governments’ passivity in carrying out crucial objectives for the country’s development, to the Romanians’ benefit. Political factors should prove vision and adopt measures needed a long time before celebrating this historic moment, so that we could travel on the Union Highway in the centennial year.
As of now, the government is legally responsible to act. Not building this highway means infringing the law. Therefore I am warning the government that in next year’s budget we should find funds allocated for the Union Highway. Moreover there is EC support, civil society support, there are experts who expressed their wish to participate in carrying out this project. I assure you I will follow with special attention the actions carried out by the government because we are talking about a priority project for millions of Romanians,” Iohannis added.
The Chamber of Deputies plenum adopted on November 7 th draft law approving the execution of the investment objective of Iasi-Targu Mures Highway called Union Highway, to be finance from the state budget through the Transport Ministry.
“The Union Highway investment objective is financed from the state budget, through the Transport Ministry budget, from foreign credits and European grants or by public/private partnership. In each annual budget law this objective will be allocated budget credits according to the financing necessary communicated by the Transport Ministry,” the legislative project mentions.
The Transport Minister is the minister in charge of the coordination of achieving the Union Highway, according to the law. The Transport Ministry will initiate procedures needed to carry out the Union Highway investment project