The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business Environment (MECMA) has failed in its attempt to reach common ground with the beneficiaries of energy sale bilateral contracts with Hidroelectrica, which prompted the institution to send the Justice Ministry the relevant documents for examination towards their cancellation, with a decision to be reached by Feb 23, Mediafax reports. Minister Lucian Bode said Wednesday evening that most of the contracting parties had not accepted the price increase. “While the majority of the companies agreed to the life of the contract and the quantities stipulated being reduced, they nonetheless opposed prices being raised. What the Romanian state is interested in is to bring those contracts to a decent level,” the minister stated, adding that there is a plan B unless the contracts cannot be cancelled. Separately, while aluminium manufacturer Alro Slatina, controlled by Russian group Vimetco, would agree to declassify the content of the electricity purchase contract entered with Hidroelectrica, it would nonetheless put it at a disadvantage against its competitors, said Marian Nastase, deputy chairman of the Alro Slatina Board of Directors. “We would agree to declassify the Hidroelectrivca contract, yet not to post it on the Internet. The aluminium producer market truly is a competitive market. There is no such practice anywhere to put the content of commercial contracts on the Internet. Such unveiling would impact us. The question is who’s going to pay the damages? We have made the Hidroelectrica contract available to all the Romanian and international authorities willing to see it, including the European Commission. We are also ready to put it at the International Monetary Fund’s disposal too,” Nastase told a press conference. Furthermore, Transelectrica ex-director-general Horia Hahaianu may go back on his decision to resign, pointing out that his contract stipulates a period of 30 days during which he can go back on the decision to step down. “I analyzed the situation and there seem to be problems of a legal nature concerning resignation as an act of honour. This type of resignation is a moral act, it has no legal effects. I stepped down from my office as director-general of Transelectrica as an act of honour although I considered I had not done anything wrong and I did it only as a response to the Cabinet’s reaction to my announcement concerning energy resources,” Hahaianu stated.
11 companies, suspected of rigging the bids for road works in Bucharest
The Competition Council (CC) is probing a possible agreement between 11 companies, to participate with fake offers in the bids organised by the Street Administration of the Bucharest Municipality in view of awarding contracts for paving streets, covering potholes and installing kerbstones in the Romanian Capital, Mediafax reports. The Council made unexpected inspections at 11 companies that participated in the public acquisition procedure organised by the General Council of the Bucharest Municipality (CGMB) – the Street Administration for the maintenance and management contracts of several streets of Bucharest. The 11 companies are Tehnologica Radion, Euro Construct Trading 98, Straco Grup, Delta Antrepriza de Constructii si Montaj 93 (Delta A.C.M. 93), Pro Cons XXI, RCV Global Group, Swietelsky Constructii Feroviare, Strabag, Eurovia-Construct International, Global Service Proiect, and Drum Concept. The contracts were awarded through six auctions, one for each District of the city. The total estimated value of the contracts signed with the 11 companies, for 2011-2014, stands at RON 1.46 bln (VAT exclusive).
