Economy Ministry Denies NEK's Blame for Miners' Delayed Salaries

Bulgaria's interim Economy Minister Vasil Shtonov has said problems at Bulgaria's NEK and its financial relations with other market entities cannot be solved within a single term of a caretaker government. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) paid 2.5 times more than what is needed to pay salaries at the Cherno More mine, the Ministry of Economy has said.

On September 12 Toplofikatsiya Sliven, the private entity which is to make transfers to the Cherno More-Burgas mine, received BGN 1.12 M, of which BGN 705 000 are available, with the other money directly paid to one of the firm's lenders.

The state-owned company has managed to pay some 71 percent of its liabilities to Sliven's heating utility, according to a statement by the ministry cited by the website Dnevnik.bg.

Ministry officials say Toplofikatsiya Sliven received more than any of the entities on Bulgaria's energy market.

The announcement comes as striking workers at the Cherno More-Burgas mine are demanding their two months' wages from NEK.

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