site.btaBulgarian Branch Chamber Roads Head Warns Road Maintenance May Stop as of Sept 30

On Tuesday, the President of Bulgarian Branch Chamber Roads, Stefan Chaikov, called on Parliament to change its decision of April 20, thereby returning the authority on republican road maintenance to their rightful constitutional holders - the Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the Road Infrastructure Agency. 

On April 20, 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. At that point, construction companies were owed over BGN 1.1 billion.

If the National Assembly does not change its decision of April 20 in the remaining days, on September 30 Bulgaria will find itself as the only modern country in the world that does not maintain its roads, Chaikov said. “Considering the current decision and the fact that there will be no new Parliament by September 30, neither can the current supplementary agreements be extended, nor can anything be awarded to anyone, as it will be physically impossible to carry out procedures and select a new contractor," Chaikov told a briefing at the BTA National Press Club. According to him, this will also affect the winter maintenance, which usually starts between November 1 and 15.

The delay in payment will result in personal damages of more than BGN 150 million. No work is currently being done on some 3,000 km of roads, Chaikov said. In addition, due to non-payment, some constructed parts of bridges will have to be demolished and will have to be rebuilt because if some prestressed beams are not loaded with slabs, they will have to be dismantled, he explained.

The branch claims some BGN 720 million, Chaikov said. Over 270 sections are not being repaired. However, he stressed that this is not the focus of the upcoming protest of road builders, although it is important for the companies to get the payment. According to him, in the meetings that have taken place mostly with representatives of the Ministry of Finance, the Roads Branch Chamber are aware that there is no desire and political will for this settlement to happen. That is why, according to Chaikov, it is important that the decision "comes out of the National Assembly and goes to the Council of Ministers" so that the next government can have expert talks with the relevant departments.

Road construction workers are launching protests in front of the National Assembly at 9 am on Wednesday. A map of 20 nation-wide protest locations across the country will be presented, road sections which will be closed for an hour every day until Friday. The protests in front of Parliament will continue all day. Depending on the development of the situation, decisions on further stronger action may follow, Chaikov added.