Bulgarian Fertilizers Maker May Move Abroad over Red Tape

Bulgaria's Devnya -based chemical fertilisers maker Agropolychim has hinted that it may leave the country.

Agropolychim has a total staff of 1100 people.

"We informed the trade unions that we shall have to start talks for mass layoffs because we can no longer work normally. We shall dismount the installation and move abroad," company CEO Vasil Aleksandrov said in a Wednesday interview for news portal dnevnik.bg.

Alexandrov suggested that the decision had been triggered by the fact that the company's efforts to launch the construction of a new waste depot had been blocked for eight years by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the owner of the terrain.

He noted that the existing depot was almost full due to the 60 000 tons of waste generated by the company each month, adding that there was a governmental decree from 2006 on the matter.

The CEO of Agropolychim explained that a special panel chaired by a person appointed by Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov had to prepare the documents for the construction permit on the basis of the appraisal of the terrain.

He noted, however, that the final appraisal was being delayed.

Alexandrov went on to say that the case also involved lost documents, while some letters to the Agriculture Minister, the Minister of Energy, Economy and Tourism and the Prime Minister had remained unanswered.

About two weeks ago, the other CEO of the Bulgarian fertilizers maker, Philippe Rombaut, said he was planning to send a letter to Prime Minister Borisov to tell him that "your bureaucrats are ruining your efforts to find investors."

Meanwhile, Bulgaria's Energy and Economy Minister Delyan Dobrev dismissed the scenario of Agropolychim moving abroad.

"Over the last few weeks, I have been repeatedly assured by Agriculture Ministry officials that all of the paperwork is ready and all necessary orders have been issued," Dobrev announced, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA).

He claimed that the case was rather about an unpleasant delay.

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