site.btaPM Denkov: The State Is Looking for Ways of Sustainable, Fair Financing of Small Settlements

The state is looking for a sustainable and fair way to finance small settlements, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said during his participation in the meeting of the National Association of Mayors of Town Halls in Bulgaria in Kalofer.

This can be done through a mechanism for redistribution of part of the municipal budgets. The mayors of town halls propose to create a national fund with at least BGN 10 million capital, from which small settlements could apply with projects directly, without going through the municipalities. The prime minister promised to discuss the proposal with his colleagues in the Council of Ministers when preparing the state budget for 2024.

On July 25 the chairman of the National Association of Town Halls in the Republic of Bulgaria and Mayor of the Haskovo village of Bryagovo Delcho Mitev said that the organization continues to insist on financial decentralization of the villages. This means an independent budget for each settlement and not funds in the general municipal treasury. "We cannot implement policies and fulfill promises made to voters without such financial security", Mitev said, addind thath this matter remains a long-standing goal for the Association. He noted that the lack of capital makes the figure of the elected Mayor largely meaningless. He said the association would take steps to raise this issue with the new parliament and government in early September.

Replying to a question, the Prime Minister countered that there was a contradiction between patriotism and modern education. "We need to combine our true patriotism with the preparation of children so that they can compete with the best in the world," Denkov explained. He added that it is not true that whoever proposes to teach modern things is not a patriot.