site.btaPublic Works Minister: State Can Pay Road Construction Companies for Large Projects

Caretaker Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov said that a consensus has been reached to do everything possible to pay for large infrastructure projects which are under construction and for which has not been paid in the past seven months in order to avoid delays in construction. 

Svetoslav Glossov, honorary chairman of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber, said that at issue are contracts from 2021 outside the scope of the resolution of the National Assembly for road maintenance and new certified construction.

Minister Shishkov said that an agreement was reached at the meeting that there is a strategy for indexation of contracts in construction in connection with amendments passed by the National Assembly to the Public Procurement Act. Within two days branch organizations are expected to submit their proposal for a methodology on the indexation and within 10 days together with the Finance Ministry the process will be finalized, said the Minister.

An understanding has been reached to resolve the dispute about what is considered current repairs and major overhaul.

Shishkov said that he ordered within ten days the complete auction documentation under  summary procedure for the winter maintenance of roads.

Emerging from the meeting, Stefan Chaikov. Chairman of the Managing Board of the Bulgarian Branch Chamber Roads, told journalists that BGN 200 million from the 720 million leva owed to road construction companies can be paid through restructuring of the budget of the Road Infrastructure Agency.