Minister of Economy Bogdan Ivan sent a message to the leaders of companies under the ministry’s authority, stating that „the winners will be rewarded, and those who lag behind will no longer be part of the team.”

„I call on the management of companies under the ministry’s authority. I expect nothing less than performance, and where we have allocated financial resources, I expect them to be champions in attracting this money and implementing these projects, and I can only say that the winners will be rewarded, and those who lag behind will no longer be part of the team,” the minister told a press conference in Targoviste, Dambovita County.

According to him, the future projection for Romania’s defence industry will be made for a minimum of 10 years.

„In the coming period, depending on the dynamics of the political scene, our colleagues at Romarm have a deadline by which they will present the status of implementation of each strategic project we have undertaken this year, with the future projection for Romania’s defence industry being made for at least 10 years from now,” Ivan said.

Regarding the European Commission’s SAFE financing mechanism, he specified that the target is for at least 80% of the funds accessed to be used for production in Romania, ideally in Romanian state-owned companies.

„On the other hand, we are prepared, as a state, to access as much as possible from the European Commission’s SAFE financing mechanism. It is a mechanism worth 150 billion euros, which comes with very good conditions, a 10-year grace period, and then over the next 40 years we will be able to repay those loans for purchases made by the Romanian Army, and from that money, our interest is that as much as possible, at least 80%, should be production made on Romanian territory and ideally in Romanian state-owned companies,” said Bogdan Ivan.

AGERPRES