site.btaRegional Development Minister Calls for National Strategy for Development of Small Settlements

Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov attended the opening of a national forum on the challenges and opportunities for the development of small settlements and their role in local government in Bulgaria, which took place in Obzor (on the Black Sea) on Friday. “The voice of small settlements must be heard, and for me and my team it is particularly important to maintain a dialogue with local authorities and to listen to the problems and ideas of mayors and local people,” he said.

The event was organized by the National Association of Mayors in the Republic of Bulgaria.

Ivanov said that the development of small towns in recent years has lacked a systematic approach. "It is time to join forces and develop a long-term national strategy for the development of small towns with a horizon of at least 2050. This will ensure clarity and predictability in budget planning. The strategy must have broad objectives, specific responsibilities and commitments, as well as set results," Ivanov stressed.

The Regional Development Minister called for better communication between mayors and representatives of small settlements, as well as with municipal councils. According to him, a more systematic, including legislative, approach should be sought to the distribution of resources that go into municipal budgets, whether from own revenues or through State funding for various projects.