Former state secretary in the Transport Ministry Iulian Matache was sworn in on Friday, July 17, as the new transport minister.

He filled in the empty seat after former minister Ioan Rus resigned in May following an offensive statement about the Romanians working abroad.

Matache said that his priorities were to increase the EU fund absorption rate and to reduce the arrears to private companies that haven’t been paid on time for their work, reports local Mediafax. The transport sector is one of the biggest beneficiaries of EU funds.

Iulian Matache, a construction engineer specialized in infrastructure, had worked for several years at the Vrancea county council before moving up to the Regional Development Ministry as state secretary, in 2012. He wasn’t Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s first choice, but President Klaus Iohannis rejected the PM’s first nomination.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: presidency.ro)