Despite the Virus, Tunnel and Bridges Guarantee Payments were Completed

The termination of contracts or postponement of payments was discussed due to force majeure due to Corona virus. However, the warranty payments of the Eurasia Tunnel, Osmangazi and Yavuz Sultan Selim bridges were made completely.

According to the news of Yusuf Demir from SÖZCÜ; ” Due to the epidemic of the Corona virus, the wheels of the economy have stopped, millions of people have been unemployed, short-time working allowances, and even tradesmen support loans have not been fully paid, while the guarantor contractors' money has not been delayed.

The General Directorate of Highways, the Eurasia Tunnel built with the “Build-Operate-Transfer” model, Istanbul-İzmir and North Marmara motorways, Yavuz Sultan Selim and Osmangazi bridges paid the remainder of 2019 warranty amounts as of April 30. It was not officially announced how much payment was made to companies.

Guarantee payments were calculated on the basis of the contract's January 2 dollar rate of the relevant year and made in April of the following year. With the arrangement made last year, two payments were made annually at the dollar rate on January 2 and July 1.

3 BILLION ONLY TO THE 3rd BRIDGE

In the first half of last year, 1 billion 450 million liras was paid to the consortium, which only worked for Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. It is stated that the amount to be paid for the second half of the year is calculated as 1 billion 650 million liras.

With this payment, the money paid to the company for 1 year from the pocket of the citizen reached 3 billion 50 million liras. Due to the calculation of warranty payments based on dollars, the tax of citizens who never used these bridges and roads paid 2018 billion 2 million TL to state contractors on January 2018, 1 at the dollar rate ($ 3.76 = TL 3).

8.3 BILLION TL RESERVED

According to the Presidential 2020 Annual Program, 8.3 billion lira was allocated for the guarantees given to companies in the Public Private Cooperation (PPP) projects of the Ministry of Transport. In addition to bridges, tunnels and highways, there are also numerous airport and train terminal payments. Istanbul Airport is excluded from this calculation.

CHP WANTED THE DEFER

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Özgür Özel emphasized that delays were made in rent, tax, insurance premiums and credit payments on the grounds of “force majeure” during the corona virus epidemic.

In this period when it was almost impossible to find funds to help the public because of the Corona virus outbreak, Ozel suggested that the government should postpone the guarantee payments under the Public Private Partnership projects, which it made to companies by showing force majeure to the economy and public revenues.