On 26 June 2007 the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with Partnerships for Prosperity organized an open discussion on the topic: “Proposal for Implementation of the Scheme for Technical Support  for PPP”. 

The material in Slovak language is available under http://www.finance.gov.sk/Default.aspx?CatID=6062 .

The Ministry of Finance in relation to the submitter of PPP project proposes the following functions of the scheme for technical support (STS):

• methodological,
• support,
• control,
• knowledge,
• communication.

As far as the organizational background of STS is concerned the Division of Partner Projects within the Ministry of Finance should have a leading role. Its scope of activities will include:

• elaboration of PPP methodologies for submitters of PPP projects,
• provide and co-finance private consulting companies for the submitters of PPP projects,
• review the legislation in the area of PPP,
• promote PPP in the public sector,
• collect and evaluate experiences from realized PPP projects.

Until the end of 2007 the Ministry of Finance plans to elaborate the following methodologies:

• content of the project plan,
• criteria for evaluation of the project plan,
• approach toward PPP risk management,
• quality threshold methodology,
• codex of managing PPP project.

Moreover, the Ministry of Finance plans to subcontract consultants from the private sector. 

The feasibility studies will be approved by the government.

Source: European PPP Center

The state of development of the electronic toll collection systems as well as method to be used is different in Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland (V4). This year new tenders are expected in Hungary and Slovak Republic.

Czech Republic: The Czech Republic is most advanced with the implementation. Since 1 January 2007 toll is collected on nearly 1,000 kilometers of motorways and dual carriageways. The system using a microwave technology has 172 toll bridges. Some 148 bridges are connected to the power grid by means of fixed connections, while the rest are fed from diesel aggregates.
On 4 July 2007 the Czech media brought news that the company building connections for the power grid is ready to file a lawsuit against the supplier of the electronic toll system because the letter has taken over nor paid for the fixed electricity connections.

Hungary: As a result of the restructuralization of the PPP Motorways in 2005, Hungary has opted for the implementation of the vignette system. Already in this year project preparations for electronic toll collection began. This system will continue to exist for passenger vehicles, which makes interoperability a fundamental requirement. The electronic toll collection will apply for truck over 3.5 tons. The Parliament has approved the measures of the electronic toll collection system on 25 June 2007. According to Mr. Lajos Csepi, CEO of Transport Development Coordination Centre, the new electronic toll system will be launched in 2008. The technology to be used will be selected in an open tender, which is expected to take place shortly.
 
Slovakia: The electronic toll systems should be implemented by 2009 and it should replace the current vignette system. Nearly 2,500 kilometers of road should be included, from which only 553 km are motorways or dual carriageways. The National Motorway Company of Slovakia plans to announce a closed-tender procedure this summer, which will not specify the technology to be used.

Poland:  Currently the vignette system is in place and a manual toll collection on 2 motorway sections (altogether 210 km) operated by private concessionaires is in place. The General Directorate for National Road and Motorways is considering a scenario in which only the motorways should be covered by EFC system in two different time horizons: by 2009 for heavy good vehicles or by 2015 after the completion of high class road network.

Source: European PPP Center