An interdepartmental commission, which will include the RIEW-Plovdiv, the Basin Directorate and the Economic Police, will examine four contracts for cleaning the Maritsa riverbed. They were concluded in February 2019, in July 2020 and in December 2021. Then the regional governors were Zdravko Dimitrov, Dani Kanazireva and Angel Stoev.
“The contracts were signed against the companies’ obligation to strengthen the shores, clear the vegetation and remove the deposits instead of paying them money. However, it is doubtful that they were selected without transparency, publicity and unclear legal grounds. of the contracts “, said the regional governor Yordan Ivanov, who gave a briefing today together with the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Gen. Atanas Atanasov.
Yordan Ivanov stressed that all contracts have been signed for different sections, but it is not known how much alluvial deposits will be exported.
Two of the contracts have expired, and two more are being sought to be terminated.
“Allegations that he can clean for free are a lie. There is no free lunch,” Ivanov said. He suggests that in addition to the sediments, aggregates have been exported, over which companies are not entitled.
“There is a suggestion that a company is doing a service to the state – by cleaning the Maritsa riverbed at its own expense. Let it be clear that this is not the case! Along with the activities to strengthen the riverbed, contractors seize alluvial deposits. de facto the way the state pays companies secretly – in law the term is “non-monetary consideration.” It is disguised as “gratuitous seizure of deposits.” That is, the state actually “pays” for carrying out strengthening activities in kind, but no one knows the amount, because there are no valuable accounts for the price of the seized materials “, commented Yordan Ivanov.
Atanas Atanasov reminded that 5 years ago “Democratic Bulgaria” made a study, according to which nearly BGN 10 billion are stolen annually in the country. According to him, the contracts drawn up for the cleaning of the riverbed give rise to suspicions of corrupt practices.
The companies with which the District Administration has contracts for cleaning the riverbeds are “Print Technology 13” / now “Build Inert” /, “Agronika” and “Stroimash”.
“The district administration is responsible for cleaning the troughs. This is our commitment to guarantee people’s lives and health. We know that we do not have the financial resources, but we will look for a legal and non-harmful way to clean the troughs. It is legal and will have a competitive start. Another section of the municipal solid waste landfill is to be cleaned up, “said the regional governor.
Yordanov is adamant that the problem is not in the companies, but in the way the District Administration has worked. All companies are welcome, as long as they follow the laws and procedures, he said.
The district governor outlined five main measures that will be taken in connection with the inspection for the cleaning of Maritsa.
1. The regional administration shall suspend the signing of any documents under existing contracts.
2. The regional administration is looking for a legal way to terminate the existing contracts, which will last in court in case of appeal.
3. Actions for actual valuation of the activities and verification to check whether there is damage to the fiscal system and to what extent. An external expertise will calculate the value of the strengthening activities performed by the companies and the financial value of the non-monetary performance (seizure of deposits).
4. An interdepartmental commission shall be established, to which experts from the RIEW, the Basin Directorate and the Economic Police will be invited. The aim is to check what has been done so far on the subject of the contracts, as well as to develop a fair, lawful methodology to calculate the value of construction work in favor of the state and the value of seized deposits in favor of companies. performers.
5. The Regional Administration of Plovdiv is committed to the maintenance of riverbeds outside the territory of settlements. In addition to these 4 sections for which the cited contracts have been concluded, a contract for the fifth section should be concluded by June 2022.
Yordan Ivanov confirmed that it is possible to pay for the cleaning of the trough with alluvial deposits, but without lying that this is a gratuitous contract and with a fair calculation of both the activities performed by companies and the value of extracted and utilized inert materials. And with clear control over the implementation of activities, which is the work of state institutions.
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