site.btaSofia Mayor Sets Up Working Group for Independent Audit of Toplofikacia Sofia

Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev announced the launch of a working group to prepare an external technical, financial and business audit of Sofia's district heating company, Toplofikacia Sofia, the mayor’s press service reported on Friday. The statement came in response to an announcement that there will be no heating or hot water in Druzhba 2 borough until the end 2025.

Repair works on the heating pipes will affect 120 residential buildings and nearly 40,000 people in the second, third, fourth, and fifth sections of the borough.

Terziev said the purpose of the working group is to involve international experts to assess the company’s real condition and explore different management options, including the possibility of bringing in a foreign operator with experience. According to him, thousands of families in Druzhba 2 face the absurd situation of being left without heating and hot water for almost three months in the middle of winter.

The Mayor said: “We can talk at length about how we got here and who is responsible, about the history of a company with a debt of more than BGN 2 billion, with an outdated transmission network and customers who cannot rely on the service provided.”

On Friday, Terziev sent an official request to Toplofikacia for a detailed repair schedule to ensure uninterrupted heating supply to three kindergartens and three schools in the borough.

Terziev outlined the main tasks for the next management of Toplofikacia Sofia, stressing his responsibility as Mayor to ensure a transparent choice of operator who can best meet these requirements. The priorities include investment in modernizing the ageing network and building new co-generation facilities, ensuring affordable prices, restructuring the company’s debts to the State, and turning Toplofikacia into a company that generates revenue for the municipality instead of being a burden.

As an example of successful municipal asset management, Terziev pointed to water utility company Sofiyska Voda, noting that water losses there have decreased significantly in recent years, leading to lower outflow from the Iskar Reservoir despite rising consumption in the capital.

“My priority as Mayor is to protect citizens’ interests and guarantee that they receive quality and reliable services at affordable prices. I also expect support from the Municipal Council for my forthcoming proposal to proceed with an in-depth analysis and a subsequent concession of the company,” Terziev said.

Earlier on Friday, Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva has referred the matter to the Energy Committee in the National Assembly after more than 200 complaints were filed in a single day regarding the heating utility’s decision to carry out a 90-day repair of the heating network in Druzhba 2.