More than 500 fees and service charges in Sofia are set to increase, some of them by up to 100%, under a new draft amendment published for public consultation by the Sofia Municipality, OFFNews reported. The proposed changes affect a wide range of administrative, technical, and public services, with the municipality aiming to modernize and align the pricing structure with current economic and regulatory conditions.

One of the stated goals of the proposed update is to encourage digital access to services. A 10% discount is planned for administrative services when requested electronically, in an effort to stimulate the use of digital platforms and reduce administrative burden.

Currently, the regulation that sets and manages local fees and service prices includes over 525 services, detailed in 43 annexes. These span across municipal departments and regional administrations. According to Deputy Mayor for Finance Ivan Vassilev, the financial review conducted by the municipality revealed that a large portion of the fees haven’t been updated for more than a decade. Some fees haven’t changed since as far back as November 2006. The analysis also found that several services were either outdated, not in sync with national regulations, or entirely new but not yet properly priced.

One major focus is the adjustment of technical service fees, particularly those related to urban planning and construction. The proposed changes would increase charges for reviewing, coordinating, and approving investment and architectural projects. Updates also cover the certification of construction documents and project modifications during the building process. In a notable change, the semi-underground and underground levels of buildings will now be included in the fee calculation.

Fees for issuing building permits are also slated for revision. These changes have been proposed jointly by the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning and the regional administrations.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Enterprise “Management of Municipal Lands and Forests” has put forward a proposal for tiered services, with adjusted fees in accordance with the tariff applied by the Executive Forestry Agency. Similarly, the Public Enterprise “Cemetery Parks” is seeking to raise the fees for grave site purchases and related services - pricing that has not been updated since 2009. Under the new proposal, the cost of securing a burial plot for eternity would rise from 570 to 1140 leva.

Cultural institutions under municipal administration are also revising their fees. Some have introduced entirely new services, while others are adjusting prices for existing offerings. The Regional History Museum - Sofia, for instance, plans to allow public events such as book launches and cultural presentations to be held in designated areas within its premises.

Basic administrative services are also affected. The tax assessment fee for properties is set to double - from 17 to 34 leva. Fees for issuing certificates of permanent or current address will increase from 2.5 to 5 leva. Other commonly requested documents, such as certificates of heirs or marital status, will also become more expensive.

Deputy Mayor Vassilev emphasized that the changes are intended to be comprehensive and forward-looking, to avoid fragmented revisions that are more costly and harder to implement. The draft is now open to public feedback until July 10. Following the consultation period, proposals and suggestions will be reviewed and compiled before the final version is submitted to the Sofia Municipal Council for discussion and a vote.