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Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, denies he had been pressured to ban private donations to the police. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
The decision to close the only refinery in Bulgaria, owned by Russia's Lukoil, could have turned into a national security threat.
The statement was made by Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who spoke in a Wednesday morning interview for the Bulgarian National Television, BNT.
Tsvetanov said the country has fuel reserves to only last for a month, adding when such crucial decisions are made, there should be a clear action plan. He further informed the Interior Ministry has a BGN 8 M debt to Lukoil and there is a proposal for differed payments.
Regarding the recent order, banning donations to the police from private companies and individuals, the Minister declared his decision was based on thorough analysis, not pressure.
According to Tsvetanov, he signed the order with the goal of halting all speculations and insinuations on the issue.
He denied reports the exceptions from the ban, allowing municipalities and State-owned companies to make donations, would turn into a concealed form of corruption, by giving an example with a municipality which wished to donate some unused buildings to the Interior Ministry.
"And why would we refuse to take them? Don't think we want to hide information from the public. Donations have been part of the system for the last 20 years as the only way to compensate for budget shortages," Tsvetanov pointed out.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Dnevnik daily reported that all mayors they were able to talk to declared full readiness to donate, but had no idea where the money would come from. "Some, more gullible, however, said private companies and individuals would donate to the municipality and the latter – to the police," Dnevnik writes.
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