Rosavtodor will increase in two times of the rates in the “Plato”. The increase in fees from truckers is still under discussion in the government. Experts note that the office does not have enough collected funds to Finance toll road projects in the regions through public-private partnerships. In late September, the Agency will present the ranking of the projects, which will determine which of them will be able to Finance the state.
On Monday, the head of Rosavtodor Roman Starovoit said that the Agency supports the increase in toll tariffs on Federal highways for trucks weighing 12 tonnes and higher in the system “Platon”. “Rosavtodor offers to return to the old tariff and to cancel the preferential rate,” said the head of Rosavtodor.
Recall that from 15 November 2015, when the owners of trucks began to charge tolls on Federal roads, and currently there is a preferential tariff — 1,53 rbl. for 1 km. Full fare, which is 3.06 rubles., the government was going to introduce the first in March 2016, and then this summer, and later decided to postpone until 2019.
As noted Starovoit, last week held a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich, in which the question of increase of tariffs “Plato” was discussed again, but the final decision was taken.
“The question of whether the possible change in the rate of settlement in the “Plato” will be considered by higher courts — said the press service of the Federal road Agency. We want to emphasize that the additional revenues from the fee system “Plato” in the future, would achieve even greater success in the field of improving the quality and safety of roads in the country.”
The proposal of the Agency on increase of tariffs first of all, may be due to the acute shortage now funds, of which the government plans to Finance regional projects for the construction of toll roads through public-private partnership (PPP).
The relevance of the question of increase of tariffs “Plato” is associated with the fact that the results of consideration of applications for regional PPP projects the Agency must declare in the end of September, presenting the ranking of projects on the basis of which a decision will be made about funding.
We will remind that earlier the regions were sent to the Agency seven applications for funding for the construction of toll roads at the expense of money collected from the trucks. PPP on these projects provided for a tripartite system of funding: Federal (no more than 50% for roads and no more than 75% for the artificial road constructions) and regional budgets, as well as by private capital (not less than 15%). Among pre-approved by the office applications have been bypass Khabarovsk bridge across the Ob river in Novosibirsk, the route Perm — Berezniki, Sterlitamak — Magnitogorsk and Eastern exit from the Ufa to the highway M5 “Ural”, a ring road around Tyumen and the road in the Samara region.
The number of pre-selection stage of applications is actually subsequently reduced to five. According to the source “Газеты.Ru” close to the Agency, projects in Samara and Tyumen regions could be excluded because of their lack of sophistication.
“This information at the level of rumors. However, it is noteworthy that representatives from these regions was not on the seminar on this subject that the Agency held in Moscow on 23 September,” — said the source.
The representative of the Agency denied this information.
The ranking of projects applying for state support, the Agency will announce at the investment forum “Sochi-2016”, which will begin on September 29.
The toll road projects that claim the budget allocation in 2017, very expensive. In particular, the bypass Khabarovsk, the project, which company officials called one of the most promising involves the allocation of a budget of 29 billion rubles, and the total cost for the project will amount to almost 45 billion rubles Novosibirsk bridge will cost about 40 billion rubles, while the Federal budget the region asks for the project of 25 billion rubles.
In other regions, which are not yet included in the list of priority applicants also expect significant funding. For example, in Udmurtia officials want to RUB 17.5 billion from the state to build a bypass of Izhevsk — half of the total cost of the road. In the region expect to start construction of the route in 2018.
It should be noted that from 15 November 2015 and 15 September 2016 “Plato” has collected only about 13.8 billion RUB.
According to the forecast of the Ministry of Finance, income from “Plato” in the next three years on average will be about 20 billion rubles per year. In 2017 it expects a budget 19,975 billion rubles, in 2018 — 20,215 billion rubles., and in 2019 — 20,510 billion.
Thus, the money that brings “Plato” enough for funding in a PPP, not all regional projects.
However in a press-service of the Federal road Agency noted that several regional PPP projects can be financed through fees system “Platon”. “The financial model of regional projects require a one-time payment from the state, and differentiated intergovernmental transfers for several years. This scheme will allow to proceed with the financing of several projects,” — explained in Department.
“To date, in budget financing can count on one or two projects, says the head of the Russian practice of infrastructure and PPP projects, Herbert Smith Freehills Olga Revzina. As part of collect “Plato” means the state still pays the concessionaire of the project (the state is obliged to pay 10.6 billion rubles a year to the concessionaire “Plato” — RTAS. — “Газета.Ru”). Therefore, the increase in tariffs, “Plato” can be explained by the lack of funds for the financing of PPP projects in the regions. We believe the increase in tariffs is justified to seek additional funds for the development of regional road projects is very difficult. But in General “Platon” in this case is not a panacea, but just one of the possibilities”.
“It is clear that the money for the construction of roads in the regions are few, — says the head of the Institute for transport Economics and transport policy HSE Mikhail Blikken.
— Of course, rates “Plato” it is necessary to raise or to look for other sources of money. While fees on heavy trucks — a small part of the road purse, but this purse just is not working.
Per year the content of “Plato” costs 10 billion rubles in addition, taxpayers will soon be released from the transport tax — it’s still minus 10 billion rubles from the budgets of regions”.
According to Revzina, the regions that have applied to the Agency, but will not get government support, you should think about plan B. “We are confident that even in the absence of state funding at the correct structuring of the project may attract some funds from the market, — said the interlocutor. Projects that have already been implemented, it is confirmed. Of course, the investments must be returned. But can recoup the investment after the launch of the project in operation and to provide capital grant — co-financing the construction, that claim investors for regional projects.
As a result, those regional projects that will receive Federal funding will not only disintegrate, but rather can be implemented even faster than projects with state participation. Because the Federal funding is a long procedure”.
According to Blinkin at his, because of the crisis without government support, investors alone will not invest in major projects for the construction of toll roads, therefore, the allocation by the state for this purpose, including the collected “Plato” is of great importance for the development of the road sector in the regions.
The declared purpose of collection trucks — provision at the expense of the raised funds the maintenance of roads, financing of construction and repairs and improvement of road transport infrastructure. In this case, already after a few months of work, “Plato” officials from the road sector started talking about that collected from the heavy-funds should be allocated for construction in the regions toll roads and bridges, not to repair existing ones.
However, in 2016, the government distributed funds raised — 10, and 85 billion rubles for the urgent repair of roads in the regions is the construction of new toll routes. In addition, another 12 billion rubles, allegedly collected “Plato”, was allocated from the budget for the construction and repair of unique of road structures in a number of subjects. Now the regions are waiting for submission by the Agency of its rating of PPP projects. The decision on funding will have to approve the interdepartmental Commission of the Ministry of transport and the government, and the money will be allocated in the first quarter of 2017.
