The Load of Roads and Bridges on the Budget is Growing Every Year

Expenditure records are breaking this year in road and bridge construction, where several times the budget appropriations are spent every year. In the first six months of 2020, 21.3 billion TL of appropriation was transferred as capital transfer and Treasury aid. The General Directorate of Highways has outperformed nearly 70 special budget administrations.

The burden of highway and bridge constructions, which rank first in the investment preferences of the government, is growing every year. While trying to deal with the country's epidemic conditions, 21.3 billion TL was allocated to the General Directorate of Highways as Treasury aid and capital transfer in six months to pay the amount that the contractor would receive.

According to the news of Nurcan Gökdemir from BirGün; The choice of the AKP government to realize its transportation investments with the Public Private Sector Cooperation model as well as public resources after 2010 has started to be reflected in the budget as huge appropriations since 2011, the next budget year. In large projects such as Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, North Marmara Motorway, Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir Motorway, Eurasia Tunnel, the big benefits are transferred due to the choice of the PPP model, construction expenses as well as warranty contracts. Every year, the General Directorate of Highways receives a large share from the budget, as well as capital transfer and Treasury aid.

In June, a capital transfer of 10 billion TL was made to the General Directorate of Highways, which entered the summer months with the obligation to pay more than 6.1 billion TL to the contractors. Almost all of the 70 billion TL of June appropriation given to nearly 6.9 special budget organizations went to contractor payments through KGM. Thus, in the first six months of 2020, 20.2 billion TL was allocated for bridge and road expenditures from the total of 15.9 billion TL appropriation made to all institutions.

In addition to the capital transfer, KGM outperformed other organizations in Treasury aid. At the end of six months, the general directorate received 8.4 billion TL from 5.4 billion Treasury aid to all special budget administrations.

1.8 Billion Bridges

In June, 1.8 billion TL was paid for the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge within the framework of the vehicle guarantees given to the producer company İÇTAŞ-Astaldi Consortium.

Couldn't Approach Nearest

With these allowances, KGM ranked first among nearly 70 special budget administrations every year. The amount of aid and capital transfer received by special budgeted institutions such as the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, TUBITAK, the Credit and Hostels Institution, regional development administrations and the Unemployment Fund, lagged far behind KGM. Allowances received by other institutions have varied between 0-1.5 billion TL. The highest amount was transferred to TUBITAK with 1.5 billion TL after KGM.

10 Billion TL in 183.5 Years

With the PPP projects, the total of appropriations transferred to the General Directorate of Highways as TL of TL 2010 billion as capital transfers and Treasury aid has been made since 183.5, which was started to be built on motorways, bridges and tunnels with vehicle and passenger guaranteed contracts. This amount, which was 2011 billion lira in 13, increased to 2019 billion TL in 32.2.