Bulgaria's Water Sector Reform Won't Up Bills, Minister Says

Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova has assured that sectoral reforms will not entail higher water bills for Bulgarians. Photo by BGNES

Water sector reforms will not affect water prices but may reduce the number of water supply and sewerage operators, according to Regional Development Minister Lilyana Pavlova.

In a Monday statement cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), she explained that Bulgaria would need a minimum of EUR 2.5 B for the finalization of priority wastewater treatment plant projects in the next programming period.

Pavlova admitted that Bulgaria would most probably not be able to secure the full amount of EU funding for these facilities but vowed that attempts would be made to tap the highest percentage possible.

"The reform will include unpopular measures, it will not be easy, but we have the desire to implement it in a correct and statesmanlike manner," Pavlova stated.

During a meeting with EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Brussels last week, the Bulgarian delegation announced that the state was willing to support municipalities that had to apply for funding for water supply and treatment projects.

The meeting also made it clear that no funds would be transferred between operational programs except for an EUR 48 M for the construction of the Bulgaria-Serbia gas grid interconnection.

The gas link will be diverted from the Regional Development Operational Program to the Competitive Power Operational Program in a bid to fast-track the scheme.

The Managing Authority of the Competitive Power OP is the Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism.

Pavlova also explained that it was better for the construction of Lot 3 of the Struma Highway to be financed under operational programs and not under the Cohesion Fund because OPs involved a higher percentage of funding.

Last week's meeting in Brussels included discussions on the proposal that some road projects be rescheduled to the next programming period because the money under the Transport OP by end-2013 may prove insufficient over the high degree of project readiness.

Some sections of the Struma Highway are expected to be built after 2014.

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