2024-04-06 02:00:31
Not to attempt pre-election changes in the budget – a warning for MPs
Another 631 municipal projects will be financed from the state budget, which will increase their total number from 1,627 to 2,258.
With a full majority today, the parliament expanded the list of priority projects in the investment program for this year. The change is made as an update of the state budget and passed the first reading in the plenary hall today.
The changes are based on proposals from mayors, who have the opportunity to submit new applications every three months – until March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2024.
According to deputies’ calculations, the value of all project proposals for this year with the update increases by BGN 428 million and becomes BGN 3.752 billion. The total value until 2026 increases by BGN 904 million to BGN 5.098 billion.
Due to the pre-election situation, the head of the budget committee, Yordan Tsonev, warned the deputies not to try before the final adoption to introduce budget change proposals that are not related to the financing of the municipalities.
The current amendments are proposed by the Council of Ministers based on proposals from the mayors submitted to the Ministry of Finance by March 31.
There, letters were received from 167 municipalities, with 54 requests to replace already approved projects, 42 to drop them, 673 to supplement with new ones. There were 293 proposals to change the parameters of already planned projects.
Tsonev pointed out that the readiness of the mayors to implement projects was at a good level – there was readiness for over 2,000 with a total value of over BGN 2 billion.
Between the two readings, if there are still new objects or changes, the mayors must introduce them, and the deputies must recognize and propose them, explained Tsonev.
PP-DB was asked for regular monthly reports instead of annual reports on the progress of state-funded projects. Venko Sabrutev noted that there was a complete reform in the way funds are allocated to municipalities.
He also cited data from the Ministry of Finance, according to which a total of 1,062 projects were received, of which 348 were for streets and sidewalks, 120 for municipal roads, 242 for water supply facilities, 124 for public buildings, and 45 for sports infrastructure.