The concession holder for Lisbon’s deteriorating Ponte 25 de Abril, Lusoponte, "has already paid for the maintenance of the bridge," says Ferreira Amaral, the company’s president.Recent engineering reports showing the iconic April 25th bridge's poor state of repair which has led to widespread concerns that the government is penny-pinching over bridge maintenance costs which used to be funded by the Lusoponte but now are the responsibility of Infraestruturas de Portugal.
Lusoponte's president claims that the company used to pay the maintenance costs but things changed when the contract was redrawn in 2001 at a time when the government owed it money.
Lusoponte forgave the debt in exchange for the government taking on structural maintenance costs for the bridge; the road surface repairs remaining the responsibility of Lusoponte.
The company president, Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, defends his company from sharp recent criticism, stating that it the matter is clear, as per the current legal agreement.
The former Minister of Public Works under the Cavaco Silva government said that Lusoponte has not had to pay anything towards maintenance since 2001, before which the company chipped in €2.25 million-a-year towards structural repairs.
Lusoponte forgave the debt in exchange for the government taking on structural maintenance costs for the bridge; the road surface repairs remaining the responsibility of Lusoponte.
The company president, Joaquim Ferreira do Amaral, defends his company from sharp recent criticism, stating that it the matter is clear, as per the current legal agreement.
The former Minister of Public Works under the Cavaco Silva government said that Lusoponte has not had to pay anything towards maintenance since 2001, before which the company chipped in €2.25 million-a-year towards structural repairs.
Ferreira Amaral stated today that, "what can be said is that Lusoponte already has paid maintenance as per the initial contract and the later settlement was done, taking into account the forgiven State debt."
The businessman says he still does not understand the uproar that has arisen almost 20 years after the new agreement was signed and argues that the agreement was reasonable as the company forgave debt in return for not having to keep up the annual maintenance fee.
Ferreira Amaral acknowledged that Lusoponte knows the bridge is in a poor state of repair, but that its engineers consider this state of affairs to be normal and that the bridge is "very delicate and requires very specific maintenance."
As for the current criticism that Ferreira do Amaral is the head of Lusoponte, after being the Minister of Public Works, he commented that "between leaving the government and entering Lusoponte, more than 12 years passed."
As for the deterioration of the bridge structure, widely reported last week, the Government has rejected any imminent danger.
The release of the necessary funds for the work is still pending and the Minister of Infrastructures has told parliament that work will start in the third quarter of the year and that HGVs and trains can still use the bridge.
The businessman says he still does not understand the uproar that has arisen almost 20 years after the new agreement was signed and argues that the agreement was reasonable as the company forgave debt in return for not having to keep up the annual maintenance fee.
Ferreira Amaral acknowledged that Lusoponte knows the bridge is in a poor state of repair, but that its engineers consider this state of affairs to be normal and that the bridge is "very delicate and requires very specific maintenance."
As for the current criticism that Ferreira do Amaral is the head of Lusoponte, after being the Minister of Public Works, he commented that "between leaving the government and entering Lusoponte, more than 12 years passed."
As for the deterioration of the bridge structure, widely reported last week, the Government has rejected any imminent danger.
The release of the necessary funds for the work is still pending and the Minister of Infrastructures has told parliament that work will start in the third quarter of the year and that HGVs and trains can still use the bridge.
