site.btaVote in Parliament Ends Impasse with Overdue Payments to Road Construction Companies

With a majority vote supported by the parties in the government coalition on Wednesday, Parliament adopted a decision allowing the Road Infrastructure Agency to pay half of the money that is owed for road repair and maintenance, leaving the other half to be paid out after an inter-agency committee audits and approves the work done, and its report is approved by Parliament.

The vote seals a crack in the coalition over the payment to road construction companies and ends an impasse where the authorities were unable to pay for past road work due to a 2021 decision by a caretaker government and construction companies refused to do any work before they are paid.

Construction companies are owed over 1.1 billion leva.

After the Wednesday decision, the Road Infrastructure Agency will pay fully what is owned under contracts for mounting road-restraint systems (RRS), for production, delivery and mounting of road signage and for monthly emergency work for road maintenance.

The caretaker government halted work on road repair and maintenance in 2021 over suspicions of foul play.

The Wednesday decision passed on a 122-35 votes with two abstentions. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Vazrazhdane and one deputy from GERB-UDF voted against. The two abstentions were from Continue the Continue the Change.