Deputy PM Zaharieva: 78% of Regional Development Ministry Budget Spent in H1 2014

Politics » DOMESTIC | September 30, 2014, Tuesday // 10:17
Bulgaria: Deputy PM Zaharieva: 78% of Regional Development Ministry Budget Spent in H1 2014 Caretaker Deputy PM Ekaterina Zaharieva. Photo by BGNES.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Regional Development budget lacks some BGN 10-11M needed for the maintenance of roads in the winter season.

If the budget is not updated, the amount will reach BGN 40-50M in the spring, caretaker deputy Prime Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva told Bulgarian National Television. Another BGN 80M is needed for road repairs after the floods, she added.

Zaharieva noted that 78% of the Ministry of Regional Development budget has already been spent in the first six months of 2014. This led to the suspension of several key projects such as the renovation of highway viaducts. The repair works of 34 sections of Trakia highway which are in extremely poor condition have also been halted, Focus news reports.

According to Zaharieva, the shortage of funds is due to the poorly planned budget for 2014 and the unrealistic revenue forecasts, where a shortage of around BGN 1.1B is expected. "There is no money for social activities. Some BGN 160M, needed to increase police officers' wages has not been set aside, and the National Health Insurance Fund is underfunded," said Zaharieva, cited by Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

The deputy PM defended the budget update proposed by the interim government claiming that this is the minimum increase of costs necessary for the state to continue to function.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

Domestic » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: regional development, Ekaterina Zaharieva, budget update, Trakia highway, road repairs

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria