News

The 12-tons-plus project to introduce a tolling system for vehicles heavier than 12 metric tons to compensate for the damage they do to federal roads went on a road show on September 23.

One of the most high-profile PPP projects of the year, the so-called “12-plus-tons” project, kicked off in September 2013, and will be implemented through public-private partnership in the form of a concession agreement.*

The VEGAS LEX law firm was actively involved in organizing the event and drafting its program, and compiled, jointly with the InfraONE company, a series of methodology documents for the competitive selection procedure, covering the interaction between all project participants, and general financial and technical issues.

Deputy Transport Minister Oleg Belozyorov, head of the Federal road agency Roman Starovoit and Ivan Grigorovich, head of the federal public enterprise Dorogi Rossii (Russian Roads) of the Federal Road Agency, participated in the Road Show. VEGAS LEX partner Albert Eganyan, who heads the Advisors’ Group* for the project, spoke at the event about the upcoming concession tender. He explained every aspect of the competitive selection of the concession operator. The expert unveiled the timing plan of the tender and reiterated the required competencies of the bidding consortium. He also covered interaction between the parties in the course of the tender.

Denis Shtirbu, deputy head of VL PPP & Infrastructure Practice, informed the audience of the legal foundations of the project; Irina Blokhina, CEO of First Infrastructure Company InfraONE, presented the financial model, and Alexander Semkin, CEO of Navigator Group, discussed technical issues.

The event aroused great interest of businesses, government agencies and the media; over 100 people took part in the Road Show.

For more information please contact the Marina Zhegulina or Antonina Gromova of the Advisors’ Group press office at +7 (495) 933 08 00.


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The project is expected to bring an estimated RUR1tn ($28.1bn) to the federal budget over the next 13 years it will be underway. The proceeds will be channeled directly toward the development of Russia’s road network, including timely road surface repairs and expanding the existing roads’ throughput capacity. According to estimates, the project requires some RUR180bn ($5bn) in private investment.

The Advisors’ Group was established on a competitive basis to sel ect the best financial offer and technological solution. It is a consortium of consultants comprised of the VEGAS LEX law firm (organizational and legal issues), the InfraONE First Infrastructure Company (investment and financial issues), the GLONASS nonprofit partnership (technical consultancy) and Navigator Group (technical consultant and supervisor). These four companies’ task is to provide comprehensive support to and safeguard the interests of the concession grantor: to draft the concession agreement, to analyze the legislation with a view to making the project more effective, to provide consultancy and support at all stages fr om shortlisting to competitive bidding, and to support the concession grantor through the signing of the concession agreement and the finalizing documents.