Mr. Abdelaziz TALBI, director of Public Enterprises and Privatisation, met on Wednesday March 26th ,2008, representatives from the Savings Fund Group (GCE) to discuss public projects of transport and infrastructure.
The meeting focused on (GCE)`s experience in developing Private-Public Partnership schemes (PPP) in the domain of transport and infrastructure, and more precisely on the designing, funding, construction and exploitation of the first tramway lines of the city of Reims and the integration of an urban bus network, the cost of which amounted to approximately Euro 350 million.
During this presentation, MEF officials enquired about the Rabat and Casablanca tramway projects, mainly focussing on the institutional and financial arrangement as well as on cost effectiveness criteria.
(GCE) is regarded as a reference bank in France and in Europe in the field of highway concessions and has well structured funding partners. The group gave its financial counselling to the A65 highway project of Langon-Pau and A41 North.
As to rail way sector, the (GCE) was involved in the project of the Tours-Bordeaux high speed line (Euro 4000 million) and the Perpignon-Fegueras high speed line (Euro 1100 million).
concerning ports and airports, the (GCE) is presently a shareholder in the Nantes airport capital.
With regard to the PPP`s,contractual pattern, the (GCE) representatives explained that they generally initiate contacts between different operators, suppliers, contractors and bank partners who would be potential stakeholders in the project assessing risks and monitoring costs.
It should be noted that representatives from different MEF departments (Direction of Public Enterprises and Privatisation, Direction of Budget and Direction of Treasury and External Finance) as well as the Ministry of Interior attended the meeting.