March 29, 2023
Webuild General Manager Massimo Ferrari: PNRR for transport sector, all assigned projects have begun, we are at a good point
Italian Government determined to obtain needed financing
To keep in mind: the delays linked to the election of the Italian Government and its formation”
MILAN, March 29, 2023 – When it comes to obtaining financing through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR in Italian), "a certain difficulty can be seen, but this was quite predictable. Still, I think that the Italian government's commitment is strong, just as is its determination to obtain the needed financing,” said Webuild General Manager Massimo Ferrari on Menabò, a daily programme on Rai Radio Uno, the Italian state radio broadcaster.
Ferrari said "all construction sites of awarded tenders linked to the PNRR are now open. A further number of projects worth more than €6 billion have also been tendered, which represent the most substantial part of the infrastructural projects still to be awarded”.
Ferrari explained that "it is only normal that there’s a two- to three-month gap from the time of the call to tender to the actual awarding of the contract. Even the most efficient contracting body still needs a technical time to assess the bid documentation it receives". So, "on this front, we are somewhat ahead, and I do think that there is room for positive feedback from Europe".
In reference to the comments made by Italian Minister of European Affairs Raffaele Fitto about the inability to meet some of the 2026 targets under the PNRR, Ferrari said "the risk does exist, but the essential thing is that all conditions to build them, in the shortest time possible, are put in place. And this is what the Italian government is doing. And the fact that the Italian Public Works Code is now in the hands of the Italian Council of Ministers, confirms this determination".
Ferrari finally observed that "for such historic changes like the ones that are now becoming a reality, with important novelties already in force that are having positive effects, even just a month's delay due to the selection process by the Italian government is a normal delay that still must be taken into account. We do need to speed things up now”.