site.btaSofia Mayor Promises Affordable Service as Waste Crisis Continues

“I have a responsibility to provide a service at an affordable price,” said Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev on Sunday regarding the much awaited resolution of the waste management problem which has plagued parts of the 1.3 million population city for months.

“I will solve this problem, no matter how much my critics and enemies may doubt it,” Terziev told Nova TV on Sunday. According to him, the effort is worthwhile because otherwise City Hall would have had to agree to pay BGN 400 million, which would have burdened Sofia residents without providing them with a reliable service. He emphasized that public interest must be protected and clear rules followed.

Several boroughs of Bulgaria's capital have been experiencing waste collection issues since October 2025. The crisis began in the boroughs of Lyulin and Krasno Selo after Sofia City Hall refused to sign new waste collection contracts over inflated prices. At the time, Mayor Terziev said that Sofia Municipality would not pay a protection racket fee and would not yield to “mafia practices”. In early December, Izgrev, Poduyane, and Slatina joined the list of boroughs with disrupted waste collection. A temporary collection system has been in force since. During the first days of 2026, citizens reported difficulties with waste collection in several areas, including the Lyulin, Poduyane, and Slatina boroughs. City Hall representatives said the backlog in collection in critical areas of Sofia will be cleared. Earlier on Sunday, citizens protested in front of City Hall over the ongoing problem with waste collection.

Asked in Sunday's televised interview whether trust in him is declining due to the waste crisis, Terziev replied “I don’t think so.” He added: “There is criticism, sometimes justified, often not.”

“Our plan is to complete what we started – we said we would not accept extortionate prices,” Terziev also commented during the Nova TV programme. “Waste collection is relatively good in six zones,” he said. In the zones of Izgrev, Poduyane and Slatina, the struggle continues, with the municipal waste treatment company constantly hiring staff and adding trucks, the mayor highlighted. He also noted the possibility of involving volunteers in cleaning these areas. The goal, according to Terziev, is to move towards signing a contract with “someone who can carry out this work at competitive prices.”

The situation in the Lyulin Borough is not ideal, but it is moving towards stabilization. “I have assurance from Sofekostroy that by the end of January collection will run without problems,” Terziev added. Regarding waste collection contracts, he said the annexes are mainly with the company Titan.

Asked whether there had been delays in the public tender for the city’s waste collection and the absence of a stated maximum price, Terziev said this is a matter of interpretation. He rejected criticism from Boris Bonev of the Save Sofia group in the Municipal Council. Terziev also said there was no basis for comments suggesting any closeness between him and the Turkish consortium that had shown interest in Sofia’s waste management.