The Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, arch. Ivan Shishkov, stated in the studio of "The Day Begins with Georgi Lyubenov" that the difference between the caretaker government and the current cabinet is the ability to plan and implement policies in a longer horizon.
"It is always responsible. There are always difficulties, but there is also enthusiasm that you can do something for the country. The difference now is that we have a parliamentary majority that can influence the laws and the development of the sectors. Now we can make a plan for the next four years and implement it. "Especially in the road sector and with the lack of infrastructure, a horizon and time are needed," Shishkov emphasized.
According to him, in just the first month of his administration, a number of problems have come to light, including attempts to index contracts, the case in Varna and new data regarding the construction of the "Hemus" motorway:
"The total scandal with the attempt at indexation came to light. This was an attempt to index almost 1 billion leva at a loss for the state. Then the stories with Varna happened. We gave another lot of "Hemus" to the prosecutor's office. Literally monstrous things started to come out. And this is only in such a short time."
Regarding the dissatisfaction of the tourism industry with the summer repairs, the minister assured that the restrictions are temporary and will soon be lifted:
"The repairs will be finished within two weeks. There was no way we could leave the condition of these sections as they were. We started the repairs with the clear understanding that we would create a temporary problem, but in a period in which it could be tolerated. By the end of the month, these activities will be completed."
He emphasized that no serious difficulties are expected for tourists in July and August:
"Last year, the repairs lasted until mid-July. Now they will be completed before the end of this month. I wish a long season on our Black Sea coast. We will not hinder tourism, on the contrary - we will help, because the highway will be in better condition."
On the topic of the future "Black Sea" highway, Shishkov pointed out that Bulgaria is seriously lagging behind with key infrastructure connections along the North axis - South:
"There are no highways built in Bulgaria along the North - South axis. One is the "Black Sea" highway, the other is the Ruse - Makaza route. We have fallen so far behind with the infrastructure that our neighbors have become interested in building it so that they can use it too."
According to him, the concession model is a realistic option for future construction:
"The state does not have the opportunity to build all these highways on its own. It can design them and organize the procedures. Then they can be implemented through concessions. This way, they will be built faster, better and without funds from the state budget."
Shishkov sharply criticized the previous management of the regional ministry regarding the construction of the "Hemus" highway:
"In 2021, we established illegal construction on the fourth lot of the "Hemus" highway. This could have been seen by anyone. Everything that was built without a construction permit is illegal. There are facilities that were partially built without the necessary documents."
According to him, significant payments were made after the issuance of construction permits:
"After the issuance of the construction permit, about 13 million euros were paid. At the same time, in 2021, when the illegal construction was established, the builders themselves declared that they were not the builders of the site. This is part of the model that led to a deep financial and moral crisis in the government."
The minister defined the highway as an emblem of suspicions of corruption:
"The "Hemus" highway has become a symbol of the huge suspicions of corruption in Bulgaria. Huge advances were given without ready-made projects. And today we still do not have ready-made project documentation for a large part of the routes."
In connection with the case of illegal construction near Varna, the regional minister stated:
"In order to get to the issue of human destinies, the state had to not function properly for years. The institutions worked in one direction, but it was not legality. Tolerance certificates were issued for buildings that were allegedly built in 2001, and some of the properties were not even owned by the respective company at the time."
According to him, many institutions and officials are responsible:
"Everyone is to blame and everyone is responsible in this scenario. Someone created this scenario and it is a product of the conquered state, from which we are now gradually emerging."
Regarding the water crisis, the minister said that the amount of water is not the main problem:
"The dams may be full, but if we lose between 70 and 80 percent of the water in the network, there is no dam to compensate for this. The main problem is the outdated water infrastructure."
He admitted that replacing the network will cost billions:
"An analysis is currently being done. We cannot calculate the exact cost in one month. The bill will certainly be huge. But it is important that we now have a horizon and an opportunity to sort out problems that have been abandoned for decades."
Minister Shishkov assured that despite the financial challenges, the state has no intention of stopping key infrastructure projects.