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Public works
The Department of Public Works (Département des travaux publics) is responsible for the overall public policy applying to public works, including the definition, design and steering of the works in question on the basis of the assessment of needs, definition of priorities, use of resources and cost monitoring, as well as the general coordination of the projects.
In addition, the Critical Analysis Commission (Commission d’analyse critique) and the Tenders Commission (Commission des soumissions) fall under the authority of the Department of Public Works.
Two administrations are placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works.
The Public Building Administration (Administration des bâtiments publics), on the one hand, is in charge of the design, implementation, construction and maintenance of State buildings, as well as for carrying out investment projects financed by public investment funds, the maintenance and renovation fund and projects that have received prior funding based on the Buildings Guarantee Law (known as the “Loi de garantie”).
The National Roads Administration (Administration des ponts et chaussées), on the other hand, is responsible for building and maintaining public roads, the implementation of projects for the major roads network financed by the Roads Fund (Fonds des routes), operating major roads, as well as for traffic management. Moreover, the National Roads Authority is in charge of building and maintaining barriers and artworks, airport infrastructures and the Mertert Port, the creation of bus lanes and the development of the national cycle path network.
Due to the Department of Public Works’ duty for providing the country with the infrastructures required for its economic development, in terms of both roads and public buildings, it is in charge of all tasks related to this objective.
In close collaboration with the Chamber of Deputies, the Government Council strikes all decisions regarding the planning of works, based on a multi-annual investment programme which is periodically updated.
By definition, the Department of Public Works intervenes mainly in large-scale and long-term projects. Indeed, often, a newly-appointed Minister will have to pursue or finalise projects that were launched under the authority of one or even several of his/her predecessors.
In light of the country’s current economic status and its public finances, respecting budgetary constraints when pushing forward the implementation of projects and ensuring the continuity of the Government’s programme is a challenge.
The main infrastructure priorities include schools, namely those falling under the scope of the “Lycée” sectoral plan (i.e. affecting the classical secondary school system), as well as European and social infrastructures.
In addition, the general coordination of two public funds, the Fund for the Urbanisation and Development of the Kirchberg Plateau and the Belval Fund, shall be ensured so that they may contribute to the balanced development of the country.