site.btaUPDATED Cabinet Plans to Allocate Additional Funding for Transport Sector
The caretaker government plans to allocate additional funding of over EUR 14,855,000 for the transport sector and related state-owned companies, caretaker Transport and Communications Minister Korman Ismailov said on Thursday at a news briefing at the Council of Ministers. The funds are intended to support enterprises with public participation employing tens of thousands of workers.
Ismailov said the funding comes from taxes paid by Bulgarian citizens and companies. He said that discussions had been held on recurring problems in the sector, which periodically lead to strikes and public discontent, adding that the current international and economic situation requires institutions to work actively to stabilize state enterprises.
More than EUR 5,825,000 of the total amount is earmarked for the state-owned BDZ Passenger Transport, while over EUR 9 million is allocated to the National Railway Infrastructure Company.
In addition, transfers to municipalities for targeted expenditures in 2026 are planned in a total amount exceeding EUR 11,440,000, including more than EUR 5,787,000 to subsidize transport along unprofitable bus routes in urban transport and in mountainous and hard-to-reach areas. Over EUR 5,653,000 is earmarked for the Sofia Municipality.
According to Ismailov, tensions in the sector are linked both to low wages and working conditions, which also affect the quality of services. He added that reforms aimed at more efficient management of funds and improving services will be prepared in the future.
At the same news briefing, caretaker Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski said the government would adopt a decision later on Thursday to increase salaries by 5% for employees in structures financed by the state subsidy.
The Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) warned of new protests if the promised funds are not secured. CITUB Vice President Ognyan Atanasov told BTA: "We have expectations, and we have also received assurances from the Ministry of Finance that what we protested for last week will be included in the extension budget."
He specified that this concerns EUR 27.5 million for sectors that were not granted a 5% wage increase. These include Bulgarian Posts, urban public transport and the necessary subsidies for Sofia, Ruse and Varna, the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) and the Road Works Union, with whom protests had been planned for Thursday, Atanasov said.
"You know that last week we presented a memorandum to the political parties in which we asked to see a commitment in their programmes to a permanent 10% annual wage increase for workers at least until 2030, as well as changes to the tax system. We are consistent, clear and predictable, and we will insist on these demands until the end," he added.
/DS, KK/
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