,,Nearly BGN 1 billion has been spent on Roma integration programs for the period 2007-2018, with no real results'', Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov said at a round table on the concept of integration of the Roma population at the  Council of Ministers today.
Deputy Prime Minister Karakachanov said that for the period 2007-2018, such programs received direct funding from the state budget amounting to BGN 196 665 245.

Out of external financing under operational and other programs, BGN 618 844 784 were spent, Karakachanov said.

This was not the complete information because there was no uniform statistics. He estimated that over BGN 815 million  were spent by about 500 Roma NGOs, many of whom were registered only to implement a program.

"This shows that the intention was not to do anything real, but to get some money," said Krassimir Karakachanov.

,,There is also no data on how much money is spent on administrative capacity'', the Deputy Prime Minister added.

According to him, approximately 500 employees in different government structures are involved in these issues. 

Deputy Prime Minister Karakachanov announced that the concept proposes measures aimed at the state authorities to increase the effectiveness of the control over the provision of child benefits. Measures have also been taken to reinforce control of social payments abuses.

"The idea of ​​the concept is to place emphasis on the socialization of the Roma population and their inclusion in the accepted standards of life in society, both in keeping a life conforming to the legal norms in the Republic of Bulgaria," said Minister Karakachanov.

The concept will be submitted to the Council of Ministers at the latest Monday, informs Deputy Prime Minister Karakachanov.