Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

In the current programming period we have the task to manage and implement some of the most complex and difficult projects, said Galina Vasileva - Deputy Chair of the Managing Authority and the Director of the "Coordination of Program and Projects" at the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications at the opening of the third meeting of the Monitoring Committee for the 2014-2020 OPTTI. The event was held today in "Boyana" residence, "Triaditsa” hall.

The first contract for grants under the Operational Program "Transport and transport infrastructure" 2014-2020 has already been signed, said Mrs. Vasileva. It is for the design and implementation of the project "Struma" Lot 3.1. - Blagoevgrad Krupnik, Lot. 3.3. - Kresna, Sandanski and "Zheleznitsa" tunnel. The total amount of funding is 370 M Euros.

The Deputy Chair of the Managing Authority reported that some tender procedures are in progress under OPTTI 2014-2020 for other projects – the construction of sections of the highways "Struma" and "Hemus".

Mrs. Vassileva informed that the project activities under OPT 2007-2013 which cannot be carried out are to be included in the scope of the current program. Among these is the project "Construction of the highway "Kalotina-Sofia - Lot 1" the Western arc of the Sofia ring road (SRR)" - the completion of section 2, which is included within the scope of Priority Axis 2 "Development of road infrastructure along the "core" and "enlarged" Trans-European network" of 2014-2020 OPTTI.

There is also a proposal to extend the scope of Phase II of the project "Rehabilitation and modernization" of the railway section Plovdiv-Burgas" to be financed under Priority Axis 1 of the present OP. The activities that were not implemented in the 2007-2013 period include the design and construction of signaling and telecommunication systems for the railway junction in Burgas, and a separate project - design and modernization of the traction substations of Burgas, Yambol and Karnobat.

A new element in the extension of the scope is the inclusion of 4 overpass of the railway section in Septemvri - Plovdiv, for which NRIC has failed to carry out all tender procedures. The company team has already prepared application forms for the tenders. The facilities should be completed by the end of 2016, said Galina Vasileva.

Reverse phasing (early initiation of projects from 2014-2020) has been started with the expansion of the section of the third metro diameter of the Sofia Metro - "Boulevard Botevgradsko road"- bul."Vladimir Vazov"- Ovcha Kupel district, which has been transferred for implementation within the Operational Program "Transport 2007-2013", informed Mrs. Vasileva. According to her, these modifications of OPTTI 2014-2020 are sent to the European Commission for approval.

In connection to the construction of the projects financed under the Operational Program "Transport 2007-2013", NRIC with as a beneficiary, Galina Vasileva said that the company received an interest-free financial aid of EUR 110 million levs by the Ministry of Finance. These funds will be used for payments to contractors in October, November and December and then will be submitted for certification of costs.

She added that the Managing Authority carried out repeated inspections of the tender procedures of all beneficiaries.

The Deputy Chair of the Managing Authority assured the participants in the meeting that so far the financial performance of OP Transport 2007-2013 is good and stable, but the timing is difficult and extremely important, because as many contracts and construction activities as possible are to be completed. The contracts under the old operational program are worth 1,982,977,120 Euros, which is 98.97% of the budget. Some 80% have been repaid, but Mrs. Vassileva believes that this percentage will increase given the recently completed road projects. Sofia underground has achieved best absorption of EU funds – some 97 percent.

Galina Vasileva informed that with a decree of the Council of Ministers the Monitoring Committee (MC) of Operational Program "Transport and transport infrastructure" performs the same functions in relation to OPT 2007-2013, adding that this applies for the MC of all operational programs.

The next Monitoring Committee of the Operational Program "Transport and transport infrastructure" will take place in a month time.

Representatives of the managing authority, beneficiaries, and local executive authorities, NGOs, trade unions, experts from the European Commission and others participated in the meeting.