LOCAL AGENDA 21 – LOCAL PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE ...

17GIURGIUI.2.1.3. ConstructionDuring 2000-2001, the construction industryconcentrated its operations in the Free Trade Zone,where company and bank offices, and compounds forproduction or storage were built. Nevertheless, theconstruction business was not well representedbecause of insufficient investment.Giurgiu City Hall was one of the beneficiaries of theproject on “Providing water services to the rural areasand developing social housing.” The project receivedforeign funding for the construction of 72 apartmentsfor socially disadvantaged people. The apartmentswere not connected to utilities and therefore could notbe completed. The City Hall is in charge of theprovision of utilities but they had to temporarily haltconstruction work due to the absence of funding.Twenty-six dwellings were constructed withindividually owned funds in 2000, and 36 dwellings in2001I.2.1.4. TransportPublic urban transportation is subsidised from thelocal budget. Although it has great potential, navaltransportation was heavily affected by the trafficrestriction on the Danube River, after the war in theformer Yugoslavia. The following data was availableon the transportation sector for 2000:• C.N.F. Giurgiu Nav S.A. has 1350 employeesand 800 billion Lei of capital assets. Thecompany provides merchandise shipment onthe Danube, and international touristtransportation services.• S.C. Gitour S.A., offers passengertransportation, and has a 2 billion Lei turnoverand 30 employees.• S.C.C.N.F. Giurgiu Nav S.A., company whoseshares are mostly state owned, operates in thedomestic and international transportation ofmerchandise and passengers. It has a 106billion Lei turnover and 910 employees.• Mucă & CO Prod Com Ltd, private company,provides navigation and transportation serviceson both domestic and international routes. Thecompany has a special partnership withBulgarian counterparts, a 20 billion Lei turnoverand 89 employees.• SCAEP Giurgiu Port S.A., private company,offers fluvial transportation services for goodsand passengers on both domestic andinternational routes. The company providesmanipulation of merchandise and extraction ofballast products. It has a 29 billion Lei turnoverand 214 employees.I.2.1.5. TourismThe Tourism industry is not very well represented inthe municipality. Only three companies operate in thiseconomic branch. S.C. Danubius S.A. (statecompany), S.C. Vip Tours Ltd (private company), theBureau of Tourism for Youth (currently with limitedoperations) and the County Administration for SchoolCamps (which only intermediates services and doesnot offer accommodations).Giurgiu has three hotels, one motel and a campingsite with 412 beds. The only recreational area in themunicipality is the open-air swimming pool (1.73 ha)located in the harbour, on the Danube riverbank.Outside the city limits, five forested areas stretch over1,067 ha but only one forest has necessary amenitiesfor tourism endeavours (i.e. the children’s camp).Three other forests (Bălanu, 72 ha, Guţu, 69 ha andTurbatu, 289 ha) can be used as recreational andleisure areas since they range below 25 km, accordingto forestry regulations. Forests near the Danube havebalanced ecosystems and are considered naturalpreserved zones. They can only partially be used foreco-tourism activities.I.2.1.6. TradeTrading activities have the largest share in themunicipal economy; most small entrepreneurs carryout commercial activities. For the first nine months of1999, exports amounted to 9,161,000 USD,representing 33.4% of the total amount of imports.Compared to the same period of time in 1998, exportswent up 57.6%. A similar upward trend was reportedfor the first part of 2000. Mineral goods (fuels andmineral oils) and chemicals had a share of 74.6% ofthe total exports, wood products accounted for 9.8%,ordinary metals and metallic products represented3.6%.