A strategy for the development of the mineral and raw materials industry in Bulgaria envisages the power to undo concession contracts in cases involving breaches of miners' rights, according to Delyan Dobrev, Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism.

Speaking Monday in Plovdiv at the opening of the 2nd International Business Conference on Sustainable Development of Mining in Central and Eastern Europe, Dobrev suggested that violations of workers' rights had to be stipulated as a reason justifying the recession of a concession contract, as had been achieved in the case with Gorubso Madan.

On March 23, Bulgarian businessman Nikolay Valkanov took over the concession of the Gorubso Madan metal mines from Valentin Zahariev.

The contract with Zahariev was rescinded over unpaid wages of miners and liabilities to the state.

In his Monday statement, Dobrev announced that three ore deposits near the southern Bulgarian town of Madan would create some 2000 jobs.

Bulgaria's Energy Minister made clear that the sector had received over BGN 500 M in investments and had seen thousands of new jobs in a year and a half.

Dobrev informed that the mining and quarrying industry had been the only industry to register an increase, growing by 13% year on year, or nearly twice the percentage achieved by its main "rival", tourism.

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