A decade after its creation, Infrastructures.catthe public company who executes the works of the Generalitatface this 2022 with the 50% more budget that in 2017, a total of 678.977 million of euros. Attentive to the consequences that inflation may have, but with the message of the Ministry of Economy and Hisenda that the 2023 budget will be expansive, the executing arm of the great projects public transport, schools or hospitals of Catalonia has its main threat in European funds.
The President from Infraestructures.cat, Miquel Buch, recalled that the company was created in 2012 in a context of economic crisiswith the aim of achieving “maximum efficiency” when it comes to design, build and maintain the great works of the Government. Now, the situation is quite different. Indeed, in the coming months they will have a real fireproof with the package Next Generation funds and they are aware of it.
50% more staff
“We need to advance the works as much as possible to avoid the unexpected that can be produced”, Buch has fit in. The company is (and will be even more) subject to a strong stress to meet schedules Brussels. Their ‘clients’, the ‘conselleries’, play too much and put pressure on them. For example, him December 31, 2023 all the projects of React-EU program must be executed, certified and in service. Find companies for deploy fiber optics in certain places it is being complicated, the president has admitted.
Some of these works were already being carried out (Europe allowed this to happen) but, as it was an ‘expansion’ of the Feder Funds 2014-2020 that close at the end of 2023, you have to be diligent. It is planned to expand the template of Infrastructures.cat by 50% to take on that extra workload: it will be from 180 people to 270. Some have already been incorporated and others will do so in the coming months.
Tenders in March
In addition to React-EU, from which most of the projects of the Department of Vice-Presidency, Digital Policies and Territory for example, in Catalonia many of the European subsidies will come through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR). The Government of Pedro Sánchez has advised that in March they are tendered projects to meet deadlines. It is not binding, but the indicative date tightens the seams of the administrations, such as those of the Generalitat and, incidentally, those of Infraestructures.cat.
With the L9 As a star project, the company also has in its portfolio for the coming years the connection of the two Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat lines (future L8), the entrance bus lane on the B-23the variant of Olot, the enlargement of the Hospital Verge of the Ribbon of Tortosa, the new John XXIII of Tarragona, the Zona Franca penitentiary of Barcelona or the judicial building of Martorellto give some examples.
Five projects deserted
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Both Buch and the secretary of Economy and Hisenda, Jordi Cabrafigahave also referred to price hike in public works, which the Ministry of Transport tried to counteract in March with Royal Decree Law 3/2022 which, together with its subsequent amendments, allows exceptional price revisions. Right now they are starting to pay compensation.
However, the fears of public works contractors Regarding the difficulties in assuming the projects due to the increase in the cost of raw materials, they have explained, it has not translated into deserted contests. Of the 300 tenders this year, only five have found themselves in this situation.