Today, a dream of Cluj inhabitants became true. We will not have anymore trucks on Calea Turzii. We will not have anymore trucks without brakes and that makes casualties on Calea Turzii or even close to downtown Cluj, from now on, trucks on Calea Turzii will become history, and for the locals of some importat districts of municipality. It is an awaited thing, as Cluj inhabitant, ever since the period when I was mayor, it is a thing which today with the support of the Government of Romania, is achieved.
It is an extremely important detour road, Valcele – Apahida, which draws the heavy traffic out of the Bucharest route, and which goes towards Bistrita or Baia Mare and Cluj inhabitants will not be forced anymore to bear the heavy traffic in the city and furthermore, the life of no Cluj inhabitants wil be put in danger as you know, during wintertime, there were very many trucks that created problems, sometimes tragic accidents happened, the brakes failure caused casualties on Calea Turzii.
It is an investment entirely achieved by the Romanian Government, as a proof of the fact that money for investment shows its efficiency and fruits.
In these two years, we have already in circulation 90 km of highway, 52 to Transylvania highway, 17 to Sibiu, 21 to sea. And if we add to these detour roads, the detour roads of Cluj, beltway extending Blvd Labour to Apahida, also from Cluj, if we think of Timisoara beltway, Ploiesti beltway, Constanta beltway, Iasi, Suceava and others that are now in progress, such as the one in Oradea and Arad, say a lot about that in times of crisis, there was much more than in times of economic growth regarding motorways or bypasses.

A bypass not only helps people escape heavy traffic, but also brings economic benefits: jobs, investment and, hence, more taxes and fees payable to local budgets. I say this because, in comparison with 2008, investment spending rose by 10%, I repeat, 10%, given that we had a 7% economic fall in 2009 and -1.3% in 2010 and only in 1.5% have 2011. But, on investments, expenses increased to 32.5 billion to 36 billion lei in 2011, and this money, again, is seen here in infrastructure works.
It would not have been possible without pragmatism of Ministry of Transport, who understood that, without bringing European money and without using efficiently money from budget for works that will bring benefits to the economy, we cannot go on.
And I am convinced that, as it managed to unblock EU funds absorption, and only yesterday, we opened 65 km of highway, worth 350 million euro, and in the near future, they will set off, the other contracts on Corridor IV and will be implemented by mid 2013, and Corridor IV Sibiu-Pitesti will have in execution, in order to complete the entire section of the Nadlac to Constanta road. I thank and congratulate all those who kept their word. I kept my word and I come up with beer and left it to those who worked at the top of the hill, there, as they finished earlier than 10th of November this work, as it was announced. As you can see, today, we open it to traffic and will not be any on the spot, trucks will go on this section and Cluj inhabitants will finally escape the nightmare that they had for so many years. We do not leave here until we answer your questions. I ask Madam Minister.

Minister Anca Boagiu
What happens today here is part of policy the Ministry of Transport sustains, which is to relieve cities, municipalities of heavy traffic. Basically, what happened here happens in many other places, on many bypasses. Today, we have in work some 200 bypasses in Romania. Total value is approximately half a billion euro. In addition to bypass variants roads, of course we are concerned about national roads too, 500 km of national roads are to be completed this year, followed by 2013 to make the difference up to 2,300 km, for which money is allocated from EIB and we talk about one billion euro.
Finally, today we can say that in Romania we have 434 km of highway under construction, I ask skeptics of the PSD, who include the ..,. I do not know how they count, with the unity of their helplessness, and those of the liberals to take note, they are 434 and with 300 already constructed previously, already we can talk about a credible and healthy network. As of yesterday, highways became reality; you can see the nearly 3,000 people were employed on sites that have been opened.
Finally, because we are in Cluj, and here we are talking about very large investment, it is a strong economic development in the last 10 years, I think the decision we took to release the area from a damaging contract for Romania, one with Bechtel company, and continue works in another system, saving 6 billion from state budget shows that, when is will to spend public money efficiently, things can be done. And here I give you a good piece of news, which not even the Prime Minister knows.

PM Emil Boc: I am looking forward to it.
Minister Anca Boagiu: You will hear it directly, Mr. Prime Minister. Following negotiations that we had with colleagues from the European Commission, on the TNT network, Transylvania motorway sections have been accepted to be financed from European funds.
Reporter: What section?
Minister Anca Boagiu: All. All that means both /.../, there are two new terms introduced by the Commission in negotiations with us. So today we can discuss as a full member of EU, with head up, on our national road sections and highways, without somebody to tell us "you have a highway one can laugh at it". I hope I was able to bring you a good piece of news, which is the best for the state budget.
PM Emil Boc: The best news for Romania and Transylvania.

(...)
Minister Anca Boagiu
Regarding Gilau – Nadasel, next week, it will be put up for tender by my colleagues, in the new contract conditions, set further to renegotiations.
Reporter
Financing – what is it about?

Minister Anca Boagiu
We make the calculation ...according to...we will see after we put it up for tender, the sum is in this moment on what it remains to be executed, section or fix value per kilometer, 6, 9 million EUR, on what wil be put up for tender, according to natural conditions, there will come out the prices, adapted to cost standards.
PM Emil Boc
The most important message is that Transylvania Motorway goes on, and the Minister has observed the commitment told in the Government, when the negotiation of the contract with Bechtel began. The Transylvania Motorway will not remained unfinanced, and works will go further on. The first proof is that the auction for the first section Gilau – Nadasel is opned, and getting that agreement which I repeat is the effort of the Minister of Transports to get the money from European funds, because so far, EU did not want to hear, under any form, of the funding of these road sections from European money. By the fact that a contract was negotiated correctly, we have here the possibility to build the Transylvania Motorway, including on European money, first of all, this section which is to Nadasel, we continue now the design from Targu – Mures to Campia Turzii and obviously the road section from Gilau to border, of which are part the priority road sections set at the Government level. And within this financial exercise, we continue with the other of EU, we will have the necessary money, including to finalize the works on Transylvania Motorway.
Reporter
Did you know that last evening, there were races on the bypass road?

PM Emil Boc
I do not know, it is something that I saw today, at tv. As of today, they will not do it anymore, as of today, trucks will be those which will deal with this detour beltway, and Cluj inhabitants will sleep in silence, without hearing noise during the night. Perhaps, the first weeks will be more difficult, in the good sense of the word, until they get accustomed with trucks not driving on Pata, Calea Turzii, etc.
Reporter
Mr. Prime Minister, do you think to punish somebody for delaying the paper here at the beltway and the price was tripled?
PM Emil Boc
I just gave him a box of beer.
Reporter
It was a two year delay.
Reporter
Who is responsible Mr. Boc, for these delays?
PM Emil Boc
I believe that if you look at this landcape and at that across the country, it is not the same thing to build motorway in plain, such as Arad – Timisoara, or even at seaside, from Medgidia to Constanta and other across Feleac. You better understand the situation from here. Look at this work, it is a piece of art compared to plain motorway or plain works. Therefore, you realize that things were more complicate here. On the other hand, do not forget that in 2007 and 2008, ask Mr. Nicoara, as you know, the Liberals stopped works here. Why do not ask them? Not only did they stop the works, but they contested them too. Each Cluj citizen should ask Mr. Nicoara that he could complete this beltway two years earlier and get rid of trucks from the city.
Reporter
What is the business of Mr. Nicoara?
PM Emil Boc
He was against the project, he was in government during 2007 – 2008, and the Tariceanu Cabinet did not finance anything, it practically conserved that work. After 2009, works were resumed, and in the end, after the dificulties you see, we are on the point to finalize it.
Reporter
When this road section is to be finalized?
PM Emil Boc
It will be completed in 2012 the bypass part too, now it is important that it is in traffic.
Reporter
But was it natural to inaugurate the opening as long as those 2 km were not ready?
Minister Anca Boagiu
I can answer this myself.
....
Reporter: Mr. Prime Minister, will you make an assessment for the fact that price grew so much? Someone will have to respond.
PM Emil Boc: Prices are legal under the rules in force. Who wants to contest it, should go elsewhere, to DNA, if he has other evidence.
Reporter: What guarantee can you tell us?
PM Emil Boc: According to the contract. How much is the guarantee? 30 months is guaranteed.
Reporter: Commissioner Almunia said today that the EC will review Hidroelectrica contracts for Alro and Acelor Mittal.
PM Emil Boc: It is an open procedure with EU. Government of Romania is open to communication of all information to the European Commission to resolve all issues that the European Commission raised. Now Commissioner Almunia also had a meeting with President of the Competition Council and outlined that there is total openness of the Romanian Government to provide all data required under law. We will see which will be the result of analysis.
Reporter: Do you find it normal to receive 50 million euros for a beltway that is not yet finished?
PM Emil Boc: If you have any proof, please go to DNA and tell this there. Here law is observed.
Reporter: I was wondering if it is normal.
PM Emil Boc: I am not a builder or engineer.
Reporter: Well, money is given by the government, right?
PM Emil Boc: Who has something to contest, please file a complaint where the state authorities must decide. That I can tell you.
Reporter: /.../
PM Emil Boc: I think you saw landscape here, do not compare a plain highway with the work in Feleac. I even expect you to have more understanding and more mind.
Reporter: If you gave us so much good news, about Nokia, do you have any good news?
PM Emil Boc: At the right time. I hope to bring other good news too. We are in full analysis and negotiation with more investors that will certainly come in Cluj, but, under the negotiations confidentiality, until the conclusion of discussions, they remain at this stage. But the good side is that there will be substitutes for Nokia in Cluj.
Reporter: Do you expect Santa to come right with the reindeer this year or will be problems as in Gherla?
PM Emil Boc: Unfortunately, Santa's reindeer look like this: EU growth forecasts are all revised downward. EU economic growth this year was revised from 1.8 to 1.7 and 2.1 to 1.4 for 2012. So, it seems that Santa's reindeers sled without very good news in all Europe.
This revision of economic growth, again, for the EU from 2.1 to 1.4 next year is not good news for anyone, neither for Romania, which will be required to revise its growth forecast. Why say that? For, if initially in spring, we agreed with the European Commission a forecast of 3.5-4%, for 2012, under which we designed state budget bill, now we have to talk to another level after this growth forecast review for the entire EU, and that should bring us down to earth and from the perspective of other macroeconomic indicators: budget deficit, funding, because the world is changing in a radical manner.
Money is no longer easily available on the market to finance the deficits, deficits will be financed at more expensive costs and any percentage of deficit means extra money spent from Romanians pockets. Moreover, at much higher costs than ever before. Only from June to September, interest costs greatly increased with the money any country borrows to finance its deficit.
Romania has this year a deficit of -4.4%. This means that there are several billions euro which is borrowed. The mere fact that in Europe there is economic turbulence, the cost of interest on loans to finance deficits is increased from one month to another.
Therefore, in 2012, Romania will have to be very cautious, careful, to make a balanced budget, to borrow as little money and invest all its money in the possible places of employment, development, infrastructure because they will generate on medium and long term, economic growth. And not to invest in electoral alms, in order to make electoral gains as PNL and PSD tried in 2008. It's hard to understand this, it is even more difficult for politicians, but it is the only solution for the country, I say it with all responsibility.
Reporter
EBRD forecasts 1.1 growth ..
PM Emil Boc: We are in the midst of negotiations with the European Commission, representatives of the Commission for Prognosis, the National Institute of Statistics discuss with officials and representatives of the European Union these days, the data are aggregated and will be made public by the end of October, after that, the budget will be sent to Parliament.
Reporter: Mr. Prime Minister, about the rise in fuel, suppliers say that these prices have increased due to high demand. You are of the same opinion?
PM Emil Boc: I do not think so and I hope that the Competition Council will carry out this investigation and enforce appropriate sanctions.