Minister Andrey Tsekov: In January, the conclusion of contracts for municipal projects financed from the budget will begin

The 2024 State Budget Act ushered in a new type of municipal capital investment program. It foresees the implementation of 1,625 projects for over BGN 4 billion over a 3-year period. Starting tomorrow, we will invite all municipalities, by presenting them with a form for project financing, to submit all the documents for concluding contracts. The signing of the contracts will begin in January. This is what the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Andrey Tsekov told bTV.

The minister added that the contracts are expected to be concluded within 2 months. Andrey Tsekov announced that a draft of the rules for the verification of expenses, which the MRDPW should create, has already been made. They will probably go into the budget implementation decree, which should be adopted within this month.

We will hold meetings with all disgruntled mayors to explain how the multi-family rehabilitation project proposals were evaluated under the Recovery and Resilience Plan procedure. It is almost entirely machine-made and there is no subjective factor on the part of the MRRD, Minister Tsekov was categorical. He reminded that under the sub-measure of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan, BGN 1.12 billion has been provided for the rehabilitation of 756 multi-family residential buildings, and 3,068 projects for nearly BGN 4 billion have been submitted. This is a classic situation in which needs exceed opportunities and a situation is created for natural dissatisfaction.

The minister was adamant that 90% of the assessment is based on the certificates from the conducted energy surveys commissioned by the building owners. They contain estimated data on energy savings after implementation of the measures. The certificates for the 1,217 projects that have been declared to achieve energy efficiency class A have been submitted for verification to the Agency for Sustainable Energy Development at the Ministry of Energy. If we receive opinions from AUER that data in certificates do not correspond to reality, corrections will be made in the assessments of the buildings in question, Andrey Tsekov added.

The regional minister reminded that the limits set at the beginning of 2023 for municipalities for remediation under this procedure do not mean guaranteed funding. The procedure is a competitive selection and each project proposal competes with the others. He added that the limits were intended to prevent excessive concentration of funds in large municipalities, which would otherwise absorb almost the entire resource.

Sanitation does not stop. There are additional funds in the various programs that are managed by the MRDPW, Andrey Tsekov added. The second sub-measure worth BGN 282 million is forthcoming, with 20% co-financing. In addition, there is BGN 409 million for energy efficiency under the Regional Development Program, of which BGN 63 million are for the ten largest municipalities, BGN 150 million are for all others and BGN 196 million are planned specifically for the areas affected by the energy transition - Stara Zagora, including Kazanlak, Kyustendil and Pernik and their related municipalities. Towards the end of this year the National Decarbonization Fund, which will also finance such projects, should start functioning, Minister Tsekov reminded.

The regional minister also spoke about the plans for 2024 for road construction. Currently, 5 highways are under construction, one is being designed. Tsekov explained the delayed construction in the last 2.5 years with the fact that the construction of highways was commissioned without the design readiness for it. In addition, it was not built because the will could not be found to solve complex cases - both engineering and legal, the regional minister specified. "From a purely engineering point of view, "Hemus" is coming out of stagnation. With the adoption of the amendment to the Law on Public Procurement and the adoption of the Budget Law, it was possible to pay indexation for the construction of "Hemus" and for the five sections of the road between Vidin and Botevgrad. This will enable construction in them to restart from the new construction season. The funds for indexation are included in the budget. All prerequisites have been created for the construction of the entire "AM Hemus" to resume as early as March," Tsekov said.

Regarding the construction of the "Struma" AM, we are waiting for a final ruling from the EC regarding the current construction decision. Before Christmas, we received a final questionnaire which aims to clarify to what extent European environmental legislation is being complied with. I am optimistic that in the next month the matter will be cleared up and will enable us to begin the design of the eastern route, which is outside the Kresna gorge, the minister also commented.

Regarding the specially allocated design funds for 2024, Tsekov specified that a public procurement was prepared for a conceptual project, not only for the widening of the Trakia highway. In the next 2-3 months, we will announce public procurement for the modernization of a large part of the first-class road network and its conversion to expressway gauge - with 2 lanes in each direction. These are the meaningful transformational investments that the state should make, because this is the engine of the economy, Tsekov said.

He also commented on road inspections during the warranty period. Between September and December 2023, we checked 41 road sections with a total length of 682 km. 792 drilling samples (cores) were taken according to the methodology of the Institute of Roads and Bridges - one core for every 2000 sq. m. It was found that in 11 road sections the thickness is less. In 6 sections there are deviations from the requirements for equality. A quarter of the inspected areas in warranty showed deviations from the norms. The companies have been notified, we have no assignments from the contractors, Andrey Tsekov also said. All objects are under warranty. Our focus was to seek responsibility where it can still be borne by the contractor, explained the minister.

On all topics I have worked with Mrs. Maria Gabriel, I have had a good synchronicity and I would work great with her as Prime Minister, Andrey Tsekov also said in response to a question about the upcoming rotation in the cabinet.