site.btaLocal Authorities Start New Term in Office "in Good Dialogue with Central Government"

Тhe local authorities‘ term in office began in a good dialogue with the central government, with promises for communication about demands and proposals, said Veliko Tarnovo Mayor and National Council of Regional Development (NAORB) Chair Daniel Panov. He participated in the Inaugural Conference for Mayors and Municipal Councils Chairs for the 2023-2027 term, organized by the NAORB in Sofia.

"I would like to start positively our first municipal event and remind you that unlike last year, now we have some budgetary stability in the short term. We all know that the money is never enough for the municipalities, but I hope that we will have positive results on NAORB’s requests to committees between the first and second reading of the [State] Budget," said Panov.

The municipal infrastructure projects amounting to nearly BGN 2 billion are set in the State Budget, knowing that the resource is secured, Panov noted. “It is up to us to mobilize in 2024 to have an active construction season,” he added.

"The long-standing partnership with the legislature is an expression of trust and understanding. I hope that during this term we will continue with good communication and work on key reforms for the strategic development of the country," said Panov and thanked National Assembly Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov for attending the forum.

No changes in the institution of local self-government are proposed as part of the amendments to the Constitution and this shows that the current model is sustainable, Zhelyazkov noted. He stressed the importance of the role of the consolidated efforts of the mayors, municipal councillors and the NAORB.

He pointed out that the previous term 2019-2023 was difficult. "It was a term in office of pandemic, war, inflation, lack of stable state governance, a series of elections, the burden of which fell on the shoulders of municipalities," the National Assembly Chair underlined, adding that there is no guarantee that the 2023-2027 mandate will be "cloudless".

Zhelyazkov described the NAORB as a "loyal and reliable partner of the National Assembly", especially at moments like the current one, when the State Budget is being considered.

A discussion with representatives of the executive branch was planned during the conference. Participation in the discussion has been confirmed by Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, Regional Development Minister Andrey Tsekov and Deputy Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski.