PS and PCP devastate merger of EP with Refer – Economic

PS and PCP devastate merger of EP with Refer – Economic

Nuno Miguel Silva

Yesterday 18:44

The merger between Roads of Portugal (EP ) Refer and was criticized by the Opposition in Parliament emergency debate on transport policy.

A merger between the Government decided to make the roads of Portugal (EP) and the REFER was strongly criticized by MPs opposition during the parliamentary debate on the urgency of transport policy that took place today.

Ana Paula Vitorino, socialist MP and former Secretary of State for Transport of the first government of José Sócrates, ranked this merger as ” a clear example of the degradation of public service. “

The deputy PS accused the Government, in the person of Secretary of State Sérgio Silva Monteiro, of” are gearing up to fund the system at taxpayer expense and harness to plug the degradation of the accounts of Roads of Portugal, whose results went from positive to negative. “

” Instead of saying it will save € 50 million and will reduce one or two directors, have the courage to tell the truth to the Portuguese people. Have the courage to say it will increase the ISP and fuel, payroll revenues to EP / Refer and preparing to lay off almost a thousand people. Nearly a thousand people, “challenged Ana Paula Vitorino.

Also the communist deputy Bruno Dias was very critical of the EP / Refer merger, saying that” this option the Government seems nonsense, or a bad joke but is much more serious – is irresponsible, destructive and potentially disastrous one as heritage of knowledge and technical capacity of the national railroad. “

” The government decided this year to advance what he called fusion Refer to the EP, which actually represents a new step in the way of spraying the national railways with the destruction of Refer “accused Bruno Dias.

The Communist deputy recalled that” each of these companies has very specific characteristics in their roles and professions, a training, a culture of project and work (and safety) and own road train “to justify their opposition to the proposed merger in progress.

Sérgio Silva Monteiro, Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, denied these allegations and said that the Government estimated savings of € 1,021 million between 2015 and 2019, derived from operational synergies.

The process Melting EP / Refer, resulting in the creation of Infrastructure Portugal, is being led by António Ramalho. The legal merger should be completed in early 2015