PM Dancila: Procedure to request funding through FDI to be simplified

Prime Minister Viorica Dancila announced on Thursday that the Development and Investment Fund (FDI) will be extended in order to complete and arrange the storage and preservation spaces of agricultural products and the procedure for requesting the fund through this programme will be simplified by eliminating the construction permit from the list of necessary documents when lodging the file. "In today's Government meeting we are improving the functioning of the Development and Investment Fund by taking over proposals coming from the territory. I am mentioning that this instrument is quite appreciated. In just 20 days, approximately 1,000 funding requests have been lodged. We are extending this programme in order to fund the construction and arrangement of the storage and preservation spaces of agricultural products, a measure awaited by the farmers who need support to capitalise on their products. Because Romania needs modern infrastructure, we are also including the funding of investments for the construction of airports in the main priority area of the Fund," Dancila stated in the beginning of the Gov't meeting. She also mentioned that through the decision which will be made by the Executive, the procedure for requesting funding will be simplified. "In this regard, we are eliminating the construction permit from the list of necessary documents when filing the application for funding. In order to avoid confusion, I would point out that this document will continue to be mandatory for starting construction works. In view of financing as many projects as possible, other expenditures such as utilities, design, feasibility studies or technical expertise will be eligible," the Prime Minister mentioned. Viorica Dancila mentioned that another measure to be adopted by the Gov't is aimed at regulating the involvement of investment funds or companies, including the privately managed Pension Fund, which want to participate in a public-private partnership in achieving the strategic projects. "I carried out talks with the international investment funds, that have a great interest to fund such projects. We are setting up a simple mechanism through which the investment funds or companies will submit to the National Strategy and Prognosis Commission letters of intent regarding the funding of some projects until the substantiation study is approved. Based on these requests, the funding structure of each project included in the substantiation study will be established. Through these changes, we will ensure additional funding to complete the public-private partnership projects," the Prime Minister showed. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)