2024-08-19 05:13:05
18,857 miners, geologists, engineers and specialists account for 5% of Bulgaria’s gross domestic product
18,857 miners, geologists, engineers and professionals in the mining industry, and another 120,000 who earn their living alongside them, had a holiday on Sunday. August 18 is the day of St. Ivan Rilski – their patron. The branch accounts for 5% of the country’s gross domestic product and last year produced BGN 4.2 billion worth of raw materials.
Traditionally, and in order to protect them from God and their patron – St. Ivan Rilski, the day began with a prayer for health in the “Holy Sunday” cathedral.
The mining community continued its professional celebration with something it does once a year – to report to the public what it has done, to say what the prospects are and where things are not so good and what needs to be done.
More than 3/4 of everything we use in our daily life is produced from mined raw materials, recalled the chairman of the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology, Eng. Dragomir Draganov.
In the chamber’s analysis, he focused on the most important – the green and digital transition and the forecast for increased demand for raw materials in the EU by 6 times by 2030 and up to 15 times by 2050.
“In this context, the presence of underground resources in a given region is a valuable asset and an opportunity for its sustainable development. For Bulgaria, this is a chance to strengthen its position and take important steps in its development. The branch is strategically important because it supplies key sectors of the economy with raw materials and is a guarantor of the country’s and Europe’s raw material and energy independence, he said.
The strong mining industry increases the competitiveness of the national economy, gives a chance for young people to live and work in Bulgaria and is an incentive to upgrade what has been achieved through innovation, new and modern technologies, Draganov also stated.
The industry is demanding that research on raw materials be strengthened and the mineral database updated, because the information both here and in Europe is from the 70s and 80s of the last century.
The second demand is for a balance between EU policy objectives and the opportunities for the mining industry to operate. To prevent an overly restrictive regulatory framework for European mining companies.
Deputy Minister of Energy Krasimir Nenov emphasized the role of the mining industry in the transition to a low-carbon economy and its importance for energy security.
This industry pays about BGN 800 million per year in the form of concession fees, taxes, insurance and other obligations to the state. It is a fair employer with good wages and insurance on real amounts.
The Honorary Chairman of the Chamber Prof. Dr. Nikolay Valkanov emphasized that there is a horizon for the extraction of some metals for another 15-20 years and the question is what happens after that. He insisted on new mining concessions.
Alexander Zagorov, confederal secretary of KT “Podkrepa”, emphasized that in the populated areas, where raw materials are now extracted, there is nothing else except forestry and agriculture. After mining stops, these regions will be devastated, he warned.
The innovation and investments of the mining companies allow them to produce raw materials from ores with a low metal content, noted Plamen Dimitrov, president of KNSB. He insisted on a national program for coal mining, as there was little substance in the territorial plans for the coal regions.
As every year, the miners were accompanied by their social partners, as well as mayors of municipalities where the deposits are located. The partnership with the local communities and the support of local projects and initiatives makes the standard of living in these municipalities better than the national average.