The state doesn’t give itself a “gola” in Belene – 2024-07-28 08:10:50

/ world at present information/ With the thought of ​​a blocking quota, the federal government is about to avoid wasting BGN 3 billion for the potential investor within the nuclear energy plant

The subject of the “Belene” NPP is once more on the agenda. Sadly, each the federal government, the opposition, and the pundits on responsibility proceed to speak about it with out presenting calculations. A couple of days in the past, the Minister of Vitality Temenuzka Petkova made an essential clarification – the market precept will probably be utilized within the talks with the longer term buyers, however the state will take part and ask for a blocking quota (34%) within the capital of the corporate that can construct and finance the NPP. Thus, in accordance with Ms. Petkova, Bulgaria will management the attainable danger, for which it is going to definitely be accountable.

In accordance with the Industrial Regulation

the function of the so-called blocking quota is negligible

The shareholder holding 34% can not affect essential administration selections. The one possibility is to oppose a call to shut the corporate. Other than that, the brand new concept of ​​the rulers is just not innocent in any respect. It will price extra money. We should do not forget that the “objective” that Prime Minister Boyko Borissov noticed years in the past was recorded within the accounting stability sheet of NEK as over BGN 2 billion in prices for the acquisition of mounted belongings. This quantity is a part of NEK’s obligations to BEH. NEK’s stability sheet additionally contains the brand new liabilities of BGN 1.2 billion, with which the reactors for the Belene NPP have been paid. The Prime Minister continually factors to them as one thing that prevented him from directing extra funds cash for salaries, little one allowances, and disabled individuals. Somebody must lastly clarify to our Prime Minister that the reactors should not paid for with taxpayers’ cash – at the least for now. However as we drive it, this too will occur – in time and with the corresponding damaging penalties.

The unique concept of ​​the “market precept” for the Belene NPP, which the managers talked about, meant that the investor would come, pay about BGN 3 billion and purchase the subsidiary of NEK, created for the development of the plant. With this cash, NEK would pay BEH, and BEH would repay its collected money owed. Now that plan is forgotten. The brand new concept is for the state to take part with 34% within the capital of the corporate, which will probably be an investor within the “Belene” NPP. Which signifies that as an alternative of cash, NEK will get shares, and BEH – with a monetary funding. New monetary challenges will certainly emerge from this scheme – as some would diplomatically name attainable new losses from the dictates of presidency authorities. Consequently, all critics of state-owned enterprises will have the ability to loudly level to the poor monetary situation of NEK and BEH. Extra “modern” proposals to avoid wasting the 2 firms will comply with, as we heard years in the past.

It’s apparent that the brand new concept is not going to contribute a lot to the function of the state within the administration of the danger within the nuclear plant. However it is going to give benefits to the eventual majority proprietor, whoever that could be. The primary actual profit to it’s that

is not going to pay greater than BGN 3 billion for the location and the reactors

If the rulers are actually guided by the general public curiosity, it’s higher to return to the previous concept – that the state doesn’t take part within the firm as an investor, doesn’t commit itself to the worth of electrical energy and buy quotas. Briefly – to promote the complete firm to a personal investor, having recognized and assessed, first, all of the licenses and permits which have already been issued for the NPP, and, secondly, the belongings already talked about. As for liabilities, one ought to consider the bitter expertise with the privatization of firms reminiscent of “Aviokompaniya Balkan” and “Kremikovtsi”, which have been bought for a leva due to the promise that the brand new homeowners would repay their money owed. However it did not occur precisely like that – resulting from twists within the privatization contracts.

The federal government owes extra detailed arguments for the change in its intentions relating to the Belene NPP. With the brand new method, not solely are the three billion BGNs which were thrown into the “gap” to date not compensated, however new prices can even be added – about 2 billion BGN. And the duty for that is once more directed at NEK and BEH. Due to this fact, a complete evaluation of the influence of presidency insurance policies on NEK and BEH is greater than obligatory, that are already pressured to take care of controversial selections since 2008 relating to the so-called inexperienced energies. The evaluation should additionally embrace all new amendments to the Vitality Act that burden NEK with prices. For all of us, this issues as a result of when the NEC can not tolerate all attainable twists and turns,

the damaging weight of the pogrom will fall on the state funds

I like to recommend everybody who praises the brand new course for the Belene NPP to fastidiously learn the NEK report for the primary quarter of 2018. And allow them to take into consideration who paid for the trendy concepts of 2008-2010 about inexperienced energies. And who’s now caught day-after-day due to the way in which the free electrical energy market in our nation was organized. I am not saying that RES and the free market are a nasty factor. The way in which wherein all this was organized in Bulgaria is unhealthy. Clearly, the general public curiosity was not the start line for the selections.

The federal government reiterates that the Belene NPP will probably be constructed on a market foundation. However world apply to date doesn’t present many such examples. There are doubts that in nuclear power, market forces and the pursuit of revenue not solely don’t work, however may even result in important hurt. That’s the reason most nuclear energy crops on the planet are managed beneath the auspices of the state. There’s a certainty that this manner the general public curiosity might be realized higher and extra effectively. However with us now this side is just not even mentioned. The discussions are in one other course – do we’d like or not new nuclear energy and is the undertaking costly. Our authorities responds to those doubts like this – if an investor seems, he has calculated every part. That is their “market” understanding. Nonetheless, with the newest modification to the circumstances and the brand new concept of ​​the blocking quota, it’s clear that even the managers should not satisfied that they may discover an investor by means of the pure market precept alone. I’m satisfied that if the awaited investor seems, he will certainly ask for one thing extra from the state to become involved in such an enterprise.

Along with every part else, there may be one other aggravating circumstance. In Bulgaria, over the past 20 years, the state type of financial exercise was fully compromised. Simply bear in mind what sort of individuals and with what “abilities” fell and fall into the administration of state-owned enterprises. This is likely one of the many the reason why the thought of ​​a state-owned nuclear energy plant or a state-owned electrical energy distribution firm is extra unsuccessful than the “market precept” proposed by the rulers.

The Minister of Vitality says concerning the Belene NPP:

“The worst factor is to do nothing”

That is true solely at first look. In our case, it is likely to be higher to attempt to discover some unconventional method. For instance, with a call of the Nationwide Meeting, supported by all events, to extend the state debt for a number of years by the three billion BGN in query. Then, with cash from the state, NEK may elevate its capital and repay the loans for the unrealized Belene NPP. On this approach, we’ll decrease the longer term prices – new billions, and we’ll save ourselves from the attainable dangers and from the attainable uncertainty relating to costs and desires of electrical energy in 20 years.

However that is unlikely to be accepted as a result of the primary parliamentary forces have a sure imaginative and prescient. We will solely hope that they may at the least take into consideration the monetary particulars of the undertaking. And that in the middle of the seek for the “trustworthy personal particular person,” who will implement the market precept and construct a brand new nuclear energy plant for us, there will probably be new events for discussions by means of which we’ll method the general public curiosity.

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