/ world today news/ There are 49 stalled projects under the “Regional Development” program 2007-2013 with a total value of around 400 million euros. This became clear from the words of regional minister Liliana Pavlova about the implementation of all projects that must be completed by the end of the year.
Six of the projects will not be implemented at all, because so far they have not even concluded contracts, writes “Now”. 43 are high-risk – three months before the deadline, their implementation is only 50-60%. We are talking about projects for the improvement of the urban environment, in the field of health care, as well as the construction of the northern high-speed tangent of Sofia. At this stage, it is impossible to say exactly how much of the European money will be lost, because construction is proceeding at a feverish pace. According to rough calculations, however, it is at least 100 million euros – for projects of small municipalities and the one for the tangent.
“No more than 40 million euros will be the amount that can remain at the expense of the beneficiaries – the municipalities,” reassured Liliana Pavlova. Against the background of the other more seriously lagging programs – “Environment” and “Transport”, this resource is not so large. But for the already depleted municipal budgets next year, this will be a serious problem.
The construction of the Sofia expressway is worth about 200 million euros. This project was actually included in “Regional Development” at the last moment precisely so as not to lose European funding. This was also done with the special consent of Brussels, because this program is not for such large infrastructure projects. Construction was delayed due to delays in expropriation procedures and the owners’ dispute with the state over higher compensation. And this object, however, will also be completed with public funds. When construction started this year, the management said they were starting the site with European funding and the clear knowledge that it would not be able to be completed by the end of the year when the deadlines expire. Even then, it was announced that the construction of the 16-kilometer route would continue next year with budget money.
There are also tourism marketing projects that cannot be saved. The executor is the Ministry of Tourism, which has not been able to implement them and the contracts for their non-reimbursed financing must be terminated.
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