Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The European Commission announced that it has approved the proposed by the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications (MTITC) measure to provide decoders for socially disadvantaged Bulgarians on the transition from analogue to Digital Terrestrial TV.

The position of the European Commission provides green light to the supply of decoding devices for people with special social needs against vouchers. This would allow contracts with companies that were selected to provide the decoders for digital signal to about 124,000 socially disadvantaged Bulgarians. The procedure includes the provision of a voucher, which will allow the purchase of the decoder.

Vouchers will be distributed by the local staff of the Agency for Social Assistance in the premises of the "Bulgarian Posts" in the respective regions. The particular post office and schedule will be announced in advance on the spot.

It is expected that the distribution of vouchers will begin on 1 August 2013. A condition for obtaining the aforementioned vouchers will be the filling of a declaration, verifying the incompatibility to receive digital television (no matter the platform - satellite, cable or terrestrial).

The first phase of the supply of decoders will cover the socially disadvantaged of four regions within the country. The North-West district with the administrative centres of Vidin, Vratsa, Lovech, Montana, Pleven; North-East district with the administrative centres of Varna, Dobrich, Targovishte and Shumen; South Central district with the centres of Kardzhali, Pazardzhik , Plovdiv, Smolyan, Haskovo. At this stage, in Sofia, the area covered is the one of "Social Assistance" Directorate - "Oborishte".

The socially disadvantaged who are eligible for energy assistance and live in settlements, other than the administrative centers, will be notified of the device distribution locations in the designated post offices where vouchers will be received.

Public procurement contractors for the delivery of decoders will also be involved in the distribution organization for the devices. The supply contract for decoders in the North-East region was won by "Zora", in the North-West by “Technopolis”, in the South Central region by “Zora” and in the “Oborishte” region of the Sofia Municipality by “Technopolis”. 

An announcement was made regarding the second tender procedure for the supply of the remaining 86,500 to 86,711 decoders for the underprivileged areas in the South-West region (administrative center of Blagoevgrad, Pernik, Sofia city, Sofia Municipality and Kyustendil); South-East district (Bourgas, Sliven, Stara Zagora, Yambol) and the North Central (Veliko Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Razgrad, Ruse and Silistra) It is expected that in late August distribution of decoders will begin for those cover under second stage.

The total number of people who will benefit for the period 2012/2013 was filed to the European Commission in the application for approval of state aid as early as January 2013.