In 2018 the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works Started up Campaign “My Town is My Fortress” amongst Pupils

On 25 November the repairs of the right-hand pipe of Vitinya Tunnel is also expected to be completed.

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works will conduct an educational-information campaign on the subject-matter “My Town is My Fortress”, in which children from the individual municipalities and areas of all the Bulgarian regions will compete, showing their knowledge of history, the future and the present status of their towns. The objective is not simply to attract the interest of the young people and their parents, but also to demonstrate how with the pursued regional policy related to the maximal degree to taking care of the growing up generation, we help young Bulgarian citizens to remain in their native places. This was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov at the inauguration of the Annual Information Event of Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020. The Minister emphasized that the campaign corresponds to one of the main objectives of the Government for balanced development of the regions and will commence to be realized as early as at the beginning of year 2018 with the support of Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020.

Nikolay Nankov reported that year 2017 was exceptionally successful with regard to Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020. 12 procedures at the value of over 2,3 billion BGN were announced for application by projects, which is 78% of the total budget of the Programme. 425 Contracts for Grants at the value of nearly 2 billion BGN were concluded, which is 68% of the total resource, which we have, the Minister reported. He added that the ambitious objective of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is that up to the end of the year the procedure directed at the Ministry of Health should start up. It is for over 163 million BGN and is for renovation and modernization of the emergency health care throughout the country.

The Minister noted down that year 2017 is exceptionally significant also with regard to the strategic priority of the Government related to the education. Two months ago the programme was over-negotiated and received a resource of 624 million BGN, which is directed at the renovation of quality of the Bulgarian educational institutions – the kindergartens, the primary and secondary schools, the vocational secondary schools, the non-specialized schools, the higher educational institutions.

The Regional Minister reported the role of the National Association of the Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, whose activity the Operational Programme started up maximally fast with, and the successful results which are reported today have been achieved for the last few months.

“Implement the projects with the needed quality. Be strict and fair, have the assurance that the control we shall exercise, shall be to the benefit of us all. We should be fully aware that each spent Bulgarian lev, each spent Euro under the Programme, should find the biggest effect of its application. I may also assure our colleagues from the European Commission that we shall be maximally objective. I am convinced that in 2018 we will congratulate each other with even better successes from the realization of our joint projects under the Operational Programme”, Minister Nankov also emphasized.

Aurelio Cecilio from Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy in the European Commission pointed out that Operational Programme “Regions in Growth” 2014-2020 aims at the improvement of the living conditions of the Bulgarian citizens and at the improvement of the social-economic development of the towns. “3/4 of the Bulgarian population live in the towns. This is why a significant part of the Programme is directed namely at them. We develop services, improve the living conditions and the economic development of these centers”, he declared.

“Bulgaria attained great progress, most of all with regard to the policy for deinstitutionalization of children in risk, but more work is to be done to forget in principle the institutionalization of the children“, Cecilio also said.

Deputy Minister Denitsa Nikolova also noted down the successful implementation of the Operational Programme. She indicated that 405 million BGN were paid for 3 months to beneficiaries, which is 13% of all the input funds. There already are completed projects under the integrated plans for urban development in the 39 big towns, and the municipalities with the most visible progress are Burgas, Gabrovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Haskovo, Sevlievo, Sandanski, Blagoevgrad. Over 60% of negotiation and 15% of payment of the resource are reported under the integrated projects for urban development. 83% of negotiation and 23% payment are reported under the projects of the smaller 28 towns, beneficiaries of the Programme. 98% of the resource were agreed under the priority axis for modernization of educational institutions, and 9% were paid. The funds for rehabilitation of national roads were agreed 100%.

In answer to a question Minister Nankov also commented the forthcoming vote of non-confidence, which is expected to be submitted by the opposition in the National Assembly. “We have no worries, because I hear that the National Energy Efficiency Programme is commented on as we have taken all the possible control measures. We have established also both before and now infringements about the quality of implementation of any of the construction activities, but we have input sufficient control mechanisms. All the activities after the establishment of repairs of poor quality remain at the expense of the builders. I am also convinced that also at the vote, if similar sector policies of our sphere are affected, we will prove how groundless the assertions of the opposition for the sanitization are”, the Minister was categorical.

The repairs of the right-hand pipe of Vitinya Tunnel are expected to be completed on 25 November. In this manner also the traffic into the direction of Sofia will be carried out normally and there will be no problem with the winter maintenance of the facility, Minister Nankov informed and added that the remaining repairs of the motorway will continue in spring. The Minister was categorical that the snow will not disturb the schedule of the repairs. “We will create the needed organization aimed at not admitting difficulties in the traffic. Winter maintenance remains a sensitive topic regardless of the fact how prepared we are because institutionally we have made organization and coordination with other competent institutions and this is the maximal the state may do. Regardless of the fact how well the roads are maintained in winter, the discontented will always complain. But no crisis situations should be created under difficult weather conditions. If needed, we will close down roads aimed at not admitting entry into hazardous sections”, Nankov also commented and noted down that it is accepted to do so in almost all the countries of Europe. The Traffic Police at the moment conduct mass inspections for the readiness of the Bulgarian motor vehicles to meet the winter season. The drivers should bring their vehicles in a good working condition and readiness for the winter season, inclusive of winter tyres. It was established at the last incidents with snowy roads that 70% of the vehicles were with summer tyres, regardless of the mass information campaign for deterioration of the weather, he also commended.