Govt. searches shortest way for Sidex

The privatisation contract of Galati-based Sidex steel mill must be ratified by an emergency ordinance, and not by a law draft, a possibility previously announced by Privatisation minister Ovidiu Musetescu.

The announcement was made at the end of last week by Serban Mihailescu, Government secretary general, who is in charge at the Victoria Palace for the period during which most ministers are on holiday.

Mihailescu’s argument is that promoting an emergency ordinance would allow speedy completion of the steps in the Sidex privatisation contract.

“As long as Senate’s Privatisation Committee is run by PRM (Greater Romania Party), which has made many slanderous statements about this privatisation, it is obvious that the best option is to endorse the contract by an emergency ordinance in order to avoid delaying the entire process,” Mihailescu was quoted as saying by Mediafax.

The secretary general specified that the normative act draft on finalising the privatisation process of Sidex would be passed as soon as the Privatisation Authority presents it in the Government session.

Promoting an emergency ordinance entails summoning the Chamber of Deputies and Senate for an extraordinary parliamentary session, PD (Democrat Party) representative Liviu Negoita, vice-chairman of the Juridical Committee within the Chamber of Deputies, told Ziarul Financiar.

His argument was the law enabling the Government to issue ordinances during parliamentary holiday. Issuing an emergency ordinance for the privatisation of Sidex entails the enforcement of the normative act in only a matter of days and allows the Government to impose its view on the act in question.