How not to envy Bulgaria’s Minister of Environment and Water Iskra Mihaylova? While her colleagues are wondering how to fill the gaping holes, she has millions of euros and can undisturbed resort to the piggy bank named Environmental Protection Fund.
In fact the new minister has already revived the old practice of the time the tripartite coalition for the most „correct“ use of these funds there. As chairman of the board of the Environmental Protection Fund Mihailova has decided to restore the suspended in 2009 funding for water systems in small and remote villages. Specifically these are 287 projects (61 of them with contracts) amounting to a total of 159 million levs. Around them serious doubts were raised after the Supreme Auditing Office reported unjustified increase in allocations and numerous violations in the conduct of public procurement. It is also understood that some sites are supported by different sources – once from the Environmental Protection Fund and for a second time from the state budget or from other sources. These findings were supposedly given to the prosecution, but the result was never seen. So now it has already been decided Yakimovo municipality, Montana, northwestern Bulgaria, to be awarded a grant of 674 286 levs. They will go to the payment of the completed repair activities carried out by Energo Remont group of the project to supply water to the village Komoshtitsa. The contract was concluded on 26 March 2009 and totaled 850 thousand levs. Now the rate of construction of the network is over 50% finished and the money is made available for its completing.
Other 474,774 levs will be given for the water supply of the neighborhoods in the villages of Paprat and Mishevsko, Djebel Municipality. The only requirement is that local authorities prepare the necessary documents to clarify what the remaining construction works are, as well as present the view of the service company Water Ltd. – Kardzhali.
Decisions to grant money continue with a sum of 435,303 levs to the water supply in the village of Septemvriitsi, Valchedram Municipality. The site is ready up to 75 % and those funds will build a ful network for the drinking water supply, said a statement. Separately for the water supply of the village Elenka, Nedelino municipality, are provided 343,942 levs. This facility was completed at 90% and also falls among the introduced by Minister Mihailova new priorities for the Environmental Protection Fund. And the next old contract (from December 2008), which would get additional financing to the amount of 417,447 levs, is for the construction of sewer wastewater collector for Gorna Breznitsa, Kresna municipality.
Compared to these settlements, significantly more money will go to Dolni Chiflik and Gorna Oriahovitsa. For a street water supply and sewerage in the first town the state will spend a total of 846,515 levs. The motive is that the project will contribute to the using of the load capacity of the operating water treatment plant. For the same reason Gorna Oryahovitsa will take 1,114,432 levs.
Naturally, not all mayors were thrilled. Some requests have been severely pruned and others directly rejected. The village of Nova Mahala, for example, Batak municipality, will receive 187,600 levs instead of 277 896 levs, on the construction of a new and reconstruction of part of the existing water supply network. The explanation is that in this case the price per metre of a pipeline amounted to 469 levs at an average market value of building such a facility of not more than 300 levs. It is estimated that the sum should be sufficient for the project.
The situation is similar in Glozhene village.
The application of the southern seaside resort Sozopol for 5,537,407 levs was simply turned down, and it was recommended that the municipality should apply to the State Agriculture Fund for funds from the Programme for Rural Development in the new programming period.
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