Author: Tanya Harizanova
© Photo: BGNES
Deputy Minister of Transport Petar Kirov
The best developing EU operational program in Bulgaria is currently the Transport OP, Deputy Minister of Transport Petar Kirov said during a forum entitled “Construction in 2014 – Perspectives and Challenges.”
92 percent of the total resources that the program provides have been utilized, data by the Bulgarian Transport Ministry show. More than 1 billion euro has already been paid to the beneficiaries, Petar Kirov announced, adding that this was money actually entering Bulgarian economy. Mr. Kirov also said that Bulgaria would not allow losing financing from EU funds in the transport sector.
One of the priorities of the Transport Ministry is stabilization of the state rail company BDZ. One of the ambitious projects is modernizing the oldest rail line in Bulgaria linking the Danubean city of Russe with the Black Sea port of Varna. When the line was built in 1866. Today its reconstruction would cost 306 million euro. Another priority of the ministry is the construction of modern and integrated road infrastructure along European transport corridors.
Together with implementing the current program the ministry is simultaneously working on the priorities for the next program period, which would focus on environment-friendly transport, like the railroad. European financing will be used for construction of part of the Sofia-Vidin railway. Improving shipping on the Danube is another project that will be implemented together with neighboring Romania. The list of projects in the transport sector is long but the challenge of finding a balance between the needs and possible financing remains.
“In the next program period the focus will be on finishing whole routes that are to serve the Bulgarian economy but would also provide easier transit for cargo passing through Bulgaria,” Deputy Minister Kirov says. “The goal is to get the maximum possible financing from funds. Still, this will not be enough to finish all the necessary projects. That is why private financing must also be attracted. The Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications of Bulgaria is currently looking for modern ways of public-private partnerships,” the minister added.
source: BNR.bg