site.btaParliament Adopts Amendments to State Budget Act to Tackle Pleven Municipality Water Crisis

Parliament adopted amendments to this year's State Budget Act in two readings at a single sitting on Thursday due to the water crisis in Pleven Municipality. A total of 180 MPs voted in favor, none voted against, and 10 MECh MPs abstained.

The amendments change the list of priority projects for Pleven Municipality included in the State Budget Act in connection with the urgent measures taken to deal with the water crisis and the declared state of emergency in the region. The changes are compensated by the addition of seven new projects with a total value of BGN 10.3 million and the removal of two other projects of the same value for 2025. The amendments will enter into force after their publication in the State Gazette.

Technical amendments are also being made to the values of projects in six municipalities – Tervel, Letnitsa, Breznik, Silistra, Kotel, and Dospat. These changes are compensated for and are within the specified limits. The changes are necessary as a result of technical problems that arose during the processing of documentation for over 3,000 projects in the course of preparing and implementing the 2025 budget, as noted in the explanatory memorandum.

The explanatory memorandum also states that the project has no impact on the State Budget, as the funds are provided for in the central budget for 2025 within the total maximum value of capital expenditures under the consolidated fiscal program. 

The parliamentary Budget Committee Chair, Delyan Dobrev (GERB-UDF), confirmed that this is not a matter of allocating an additional BGN 10 million, but rather that some projects are being dropped so that the money can go to other projects. Pleven is giving up some of its projects so that there will be more money for water supply and sewerage projects, he emphasized.

The main issue in the parliamentary debate was precisely where this money would come from and whether there was any potential for corrupt practices. It was also discussed whether there would be direct negotiations or transparent public procurement.

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) MP Bogdan Bogdanov noted that the changes mark the beginning of solving the problem of water scarcity, giving the Municipality the right to privatize water supply and sewerage projects and to plan repairs to the city's internal water supply network. He also asked where the BGN 80 million needed to be spent next year would come from. "Over the last two years, we have seen the problem being neglected. In our opinion, funds are being transferred to ineffective projects with a high risk of corruption, such as the sports hall in Pleven," Bogdanov added. 

Dobrev responded by saying that there are CC-DB mayors currently in prison over corruption allegations. "There are records of your mayors, one wanting 20%, another 6%, and you come out here and tear your shirts over how there will be theft, but it is your people who are stealing, not ours," he argued. 

Vazrazhdane MPs Tsoncho Ganev and Kosta Stoyanov used the parliamentary tribune to address the CC-DB and MECh parties, asking them why they did not sign their motion of no confidence on the issue of water scarcity.

"Collect your signatures, and when you do, come on over. We at CC carefully discuss votes on important issues," replied Bogdanov.

MECh MP Violeta Komitova pointed out that the 2025 budget is a budget for asphalt, despite calls and warnings that the water crisis in Bulgaria is growing. "Today the government acknowledged that the money for asphalt needs to be reallocated to water and sanitation projects, but this is a decision made in a crisis," she said. 

MECh MP Krasimira Katincharova said that Velichie would support the changes, even though they knew that the money would be stolen. Those who propose that these funds be used for urgent repairs are responsible for the crisis in Pleven and not only there, but also for many other crises, she stressed.