Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca stated, on the occasion of a visit he paid to the company Astra Vagoane Calatori Arad, that he considers to „substantially” increase the budget for research next year, while also committing to help Romanian industry in the difficult context of the high energy prices, according to Agerpres.

„We took over a budget for research that is not the most suitable for the level of ambition we propose. We think that for next year we will substantially increase the budget for research, in such a way as to connect our producers with the Romanian research and correlate it with our country’s development. There is creativity, there are ideas, there are inventions, we only need to capitalize on them. All these achievements in the field of research and development must not remain on a piece of paper in a file forgotten for a long time in a closet,” said the PM.

He visited the wagon factory and praised the trams produced in Arad.

„I hope that the Bucharesters, because you are working on the trams that will be delivered to the Capital City in a very short time, will enjoy these modern, efficient means of transport,” the PM told the representatives of the factory.

Nicolae Ciuca also said he was „pleasantly surprised” that trams and passenger cars are mostly bought in the country, „which means that we have capacity, we have potential and we must do everything possible to put it to value.”

The Prime Minister noted that Astra has its own research centre and a school where young people are trained in the profession.

Ciuca also referred to the difficult context for the industry and promised support.

„We want that through our presence in the territory we can take over all the realities that Romanian investors face. (…) We know very well the situation we are in, that there are problems related to the price of energy, the price gas and problems related to securing financing for the future projects of these companies,” said the head of Executive.

He recalled that „Romania is a country that produces electricity, a country that has gas resources,” but that it is still necessary for the Government to find „the most suitable formula” to support producers and ensure competitiveness on the market.

The general manager of the Astra Arad Group of Companies, Valer Blidar, told the PM that the producers are „the real sensors in the economy” and told him that he did not want to complain about the increasingly difficult conditions, but only to present the Arad factory projects to him „in detail.”

Agerpres