New National Roads Authority will look to private sector to raise funds

The cabinet is planning to set up a new authority called the National Roads Authority (ZDK), which will manage and construct highways. The company will have a budget of around zl. 9 billion, which will come from toll charges, excise duty and EU grants. ZDK will receive about zl. 37 billion from these sources by 2005. "There will be neither doubling of institutions nor competencies," explained Deputy Infrastructure Minister, Wojciech Janczyk. Once the new body is operational, the National Roads and Highway Authority will be liquidated. The reason for creating ZDK is to allow the company to borrow money on its own and to issue bonds. It is hoped that using such methods it will be able to raise about euro 3.5 billion in loans over the next four years. (Prawo i Gospodarka, pp. 1, 3) M.M.