run for a new mandate. Ambitious mega-project in Ghiroda, on the border with Timisoara

Ionuț Stănușoiu, the PNL mayor from Ghiroda, Timișoara, confirmed to PRESSALERT LIVE that he will run for a third term.

“I will definitely run for a new mandate, I don’t think I’ve announced anywhere officially so far. We have several projects to complete and continue, that’s why I want to continue, because we still have work to do in Ghiroda and to put some important projects in order”, said the one who in 2016, when he was elected for the first time, he was the youngest mayor in the county.

One of the most important projects of the mayor-in-chief concerns the company Pescotim, bought by Ghiroda City Hall last year.

“There are three locations. One is at the border of the Ghiroda commune, actually within the radius of UAT Timișoara, there are 80 hectares that are concessioned by the Romanian state, and we still have almost 30 years of concession left. The second location is at Sacoșu Turcesc, another 80 or so hectares. The third location is in Banloc, in Partoș, on the border with Serbia, where there are over 140 hectares”, explained Ionuț Stănușoiu.

He reminds that, in the past, Pescotim was one of the most important suppliers of fish in the western part of the country, while currently Romania imports over 97% of fish for consumption.

“Gradually, this company went bankrupt, but the asset was still there, the puddles, but most of them were dried up. This is also because the former shareholders increased the share capital in 2005, until 2010, by 4-5 million euros, but the executive management part was from us in Romania, and let’s just say that it was not a very productive management. Our plans are to reduce, resume fish production on the pond from Bancloc, to Ghiroda to transform the 80 hectares into a recreational area primarily, and with the fishing component on an area of ​​23 hectares, and to develop between Ghiroda and Timișoara an 80-hectare recreation area. We want to preserve the area, because there has been no water there for almost 20 years, vegetation has grown, it is an extraordinary natural setting on that location. And the part of the pond, of 23 hectares, needs a consolidation on the banks, to be able to bring back the water. The main problem at the Ghiroda reservoir was that there was no longer the water outlet to Behela. We have a technical solution, a route on which we will ensure the emptying of puddles in case of need. All the oxygenation in such puddles is done by water circulation, so it needs to be emptied”, detailed the mayor of Ghiroda.

He revealed that the Pescotim land between Ghiroda and Timișoara was close to being bought by a private company and that he got a good price because the German owner appreciated the fact that the place would continue to be used for fishing.

“There were several interests and private investors from Timișoara who tried over time to get their hands on that land.

This was the main reason I bought. I found out that Pescotim is for sale, I negotiated with the German shareholder, to whom I thank once again, because compared to the market price we managed to negotiate almost half, I paid 800,000 euros, and the listing was about 1 .5 million. A pre-sale-purchase contract was signed with another client from Bucharest, actually a company that had various shareholders from Timișoara, and we managed to sign it the very next day after their deadline to transfer the money expired. The shareholder was delighted that a public administration wants to buy Pescotim, because the one who bought it in 2007, I think, was actually the founder of the company whose director is today the person I negotiated with. He was very fond of these locations as a pond for fishing, he was delighted that we want to take it further”, said Ionuț Stănușoiu.

“Actually, this is my personal stake on this subject. To have food production capabilities in the public area, because you never know what times are coming, and I think it would benefit the tours to have those capabilities. And secondly, I want to show that it is possible to make a profit in a state company, of a local administration. In the first phase, we resume production. The pond at Banloc was completely closed, now it has been repopulated with very small fry, which need a year – two to reach a weight that can be sold. We have a fish shop in Badea Cârțan, that is a first step to enter the market. Collaboration with large store chains is also a discussion. Thirdly, the end will be a line of cans, so that we can process and sell in the long term as well. It is also possible to go to the grain production area to supply our own fish feed. These are large quantities when it comes to hundreds of tons of fish. In about five years we could get there”, the mayor believes.

Regarding the land between Ghiroda and Timișoara, in addition to the 23 hectares that will be dedicated to fishermen, the plan is to develop a green recreational area that the citizens of both localities can enjoy.

“We are in discussions with the ministry to fund certain funding in relation to those urban forests. It is a perfect location to create such islands, to have 5-6,000 square meters, from place to place, on the 60 hectares of urban forest, and around them to do various activities for children, for sports and so on far away. The place of festivals is more complicated, because no matter how you place the stage, if you hit an area, either in Ghiroda or in Timișoara, someone will be disturbed. But we have another area for festivals in Ghiroda, reserved in the new PUG, on 28 hectares, which will be more than interesting”, stated Ionuț Stănușoiu.