Government: the budget of the Spit waterway construction program will increase to more than PLN 2 billion

An increase to PLN 2 billion 127 million 494 thousand for the multi-year program for the construction of a new waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk is provided for in a draft resolution of the Council of Ministers. The increase in the budget is due to an increase in the cost of the investment caused by changes in the prices of materials and construction works, the draft resolution of the Council of Ministers indicates.

The draft resolution of the Council of Ministers amending the resolution on establishing a long-term program called “Construction of a waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk” was posted Tuesday on the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers website. The planned date for the adoption of the draft by the Council of Ministers is the first quarter of 2023.

As indicated, the 2016-2023 multi-year program called “Construction of a waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk” is a document of operational and implementation nature, implementing the goals included in the “Strategy for Responsible Development until 2020 with an Outlook until 2030” and the “Strategy for Transport Development until 2020 (with an Outlook until 2030).”

As emphasized, the proposed amendment to Resolution No. 57/2016 of the Council of Ministers of May 24, 2016, on the establishment of a multi-year program called “Construction of a waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk” was necessary for the implementation of the Program.

It concerns increasing the total amount of funds for the Program from PLN 1 billion 984 million 051 thousand 500 to PLN 2 billion 127 million 494 thousand 304 (by 7.2 per cent of the total value), extending the implementation deadline to 2024, and introducing an updated Material and Financial Schedule.

In 2020, the main reason for the introduction of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 170/2020 of November 24, 2020, amending the Resolution on the establishment of the long-term program called “Construction of the waterway connecting the Vistula Lagoon with the Gulf of Gdansk” into the legal order changed in the material scope of the Program, such as the construction of the swing bridge in Nowakowo, the change of the concept in terms of the bridge on the Vistula Spit, the construction of an artificial island for the deposition of dredged material from dredging works, the increase in the scope of works on the Elblag River.

– The indicated valuation of the value of the total implementation of the Program did not take into account the amount of prices caused by the armed conflict in the territory of Ukraine, as well as high inflation, the Chancellery of the Council of Ministers said.

The main reason for the change in the resolution is the increase in investment costs caused by changes in the prices of materials and construction works in the market.

– It should be noted that the increase in dredging rates is mostly affected by the increase in the cost of fuel for dredgers. Fuel prices on the Polish and global market as a result of the armed conflict on Ukrainian territory have increased by several tens of per cent (according to the Polish Organization of Oil Industry and Trade, diesel fuel prices from 2020 to the end of October 2022 have increased by 53 per cent), the communiqué emphasized.

Another important price driver is the salaries of the contractor’s personnel, which are constantly increasing in the face of keeping up with inflation-induced salary increases, it explained.

In view of the need to obtain an increase in funds for the Program, it is also necessary to extend the implementation schedule. The Maritime Office in Gdynia has undertaken activities related to the implementation of the scope in question, for which additional funds are needed.

However, the tender procedure can be announced after the decision to increase funding for the Program is obtained. The above situation has a direct impact on the need to extend the implementation period of the Program-as indicated in the press release.

The adoption of a resolution by the Council of Ministers to increase the total outlay for the Program and the extension of its implementation period will allow its implementation within the scope established in the resolution.

Source: PortalMorski.pl