The statement made on Tuesday by Romanian chief negotiator for accession to the European Union Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, that misunderstandings concerning EU money are "probably" triggered by the possibility contemplated by protagonists to channel the funds towards "friends," proves that one of the conditions for flourishing capitalism was met: there is competition.
Competition for money from the outside, for funds that have become a certainty. After the fight for budget funds was waged by ministries, the battle is now fought over European Union money. Money that, on paper, is to be granted to projects, as it had also been settled for budget sharing this spring. That is, as Mr. Dordea put it, "probably" for the villa projects for the ones that will handle them. SAPARD agriculture recovery programme, granted by the European Union with 150 million euros per year until 2001, is at stake.
This is the first time when a governmental official delivers this kind of statements. So far, battles for positions within PMUs (Project Management Units), worth thousands of dollars, or for assignment of programmes of road rehabilitation or mines closing, were fought in silence.
Something leaked out in Eurofinances business deal, when Industry and Trade minister Radu Berceanu was blamed for having assigned the management of certain hydroelectric power plants in Valea Jiului, worth almost one billion dollars, to a company headquartered in a studio, without a previous bidding. There was no evidence, and the deal was buried without any high-level shocks.
Battle signs show up again in the process of restructuring governmental agencies. Based on political criteria, their number was cut down and they were thus shared so as to fit perfectly at the reception, waiting for the money that is to arrive for projects.
The Finance Ministry also benefited from a project-oriented financing. The World Bank lent us 50 million dollars aimed at setting up the global taxation system, through a computer network and tax officer training. The outcome: you make a call at the Finance Ministry and ask, as a taxpayer, how much you have to pay according to the new tax standards. The answer will be simple, coming from a person who is probably busy playing computer games on the software obtained from the 50 million dollar project: make a call at the Official Gazette. In the past few years, a new class emerged from the bulk of ministerial employees, probably envied by the others. The ones that moved more swiftly grasped a position within governmental agencies or departments in charge with finding entrepreneurs or NGOs with projects to employ the foreign funds. The National Agency for Farm Consulting came out from the Agriculture Ministry. The Transports Ministry has PMUs for the World Bank money. The National Agency for Employment and Professional Training emerged from Labour and Social Protection Ministry. And so on.
Undoubtedly, the statement made by Ciobanu-Dordea will trigger fiery reactions. Or perhaps this was exactly the purpose. At this level, games are complicated enough so as statements not to be made for the sake of truth. The truth does not matter.
Anyway, the stake is too high for the persons involved to back off. They have plans with the money they are waiting for, so they must think of some projects to secure the respective funds.
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