Romania has the opportunity to become a regional hub for maintenance programs in the defence industry, Economy Minister Florin Spataru said in Brasov on Friday, stressing that the defence industry can be revitalized by investments from the state budget, so that it can produce both for the domestic market and for export.
The economy minister told a press conference that out of the amount of 200 million lei allocated through the state budget this year for the defence industry, 118 million lei is dedicated to Brasov County, a "key" one for this industry. He pointed out that, by comparison, last year, in the budget of the Ministry of Economy, 5 million lei was allocated for the defence industry, which was not spent.
He pointed out that the defence industry is going through a crisis of raw materials, but it remains to be seen what can and should be produced in the country, so that Romanian factories are not dependent on imports.
In this context, he mentioned that he visited the Fagaras Powder Factory.
According to him, at present, the defence industry in Romania provides modernization and maintenance programs for the Ministry of National Defence, but it could become a regional hub that would provide such services to other countries as well, Agerpres.ro informs.
"The Ministry of National Defence has an endowment program defined in different categories. The Romanian defence industry can, at this moment, deliver some of these products, but it can also provide maintenance and modernization programs. We provide for artillery, modernization programs for the aeronautical industry. We want to do more, that is why we need to make investments. Romania also has this opportunity to become a regional hub for regional maintenance on certain projects", said Florin Spataru.
During his visit to Brasov County, Florin Spataru reviewed the county's defence industry companies by visiting IAR Ghimbav, Tohan Zarnesti, Pirochim Victoria, Urolight and the Fagaras Powder Factory.