Minister Danail Papazov: The project for OP “Transport and transport infrastructure” is completed
18.12.2013
The project for OP “Transport and transport infrastructure”, which is to be implemented in 2014-2020 period, has been completed. This was announced by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, Danail Papazov, during the annual public event presenting the progress on OP “Transport”. The three Deputy Ministers, Petar Kirov, Anton Ginev and Georgi Todorov, took part in the event. The project for the new operational programme is filed at the Council of ministers and then it will be sent to the European Commission for preliminary consultations.
The modification of the programme has also been approved and thus 122.1 million Euros from priority axis 4 (maritime waterways) will be transferred to priority axis 3 (intermodality), and 20 million euros, which will be transferred from priority axis 2 (road infrastructure) to priority axis 1 (railway infrastructure). These funds are in high demand as the projects, which are to be financed with them, are being implemented. Among others these are the projects for the expansion of Sofia metropolitan and the modernization of the railway stations in Sofia, Pazardjik and Bourgas.
"We are at the end of a good year in the work of the Operational Programme "Transport". We can say that we have agreed almost all of the available financial aid of 2 billion Euros. We have disbursed to the beneficiaries nearly 1.100 billion Euros, which is more than 50% of the programme’s funds. Seven hundred and seventy million Euros have already been refunded to the National budget from Brussels, under the Operational Programme "Transport" said Minister Danail Papazov.
In his words over 218 km railways were rehabilitated and constructed and more than 140 km highways were put into operation. "In the last year only, five large infrastructure projects were opened and the implementation of eight more was initiated," added Danail Papazov. At the present moment 15 major projects are being implemented for key sites such as the railway line in the direction Septemvri - Plovdiv – Burgas, "Struma" and "Maritsa" motorways and the metropolitan subway. Minister Papazov emphasized that the successful implementation of all projects and the prompt start of the new Operational Programme "Transport and transport infrastructure" will be the main goal.
During the event Galina Vasileva, Director of "Coordination of Programmes and Projects" Directorate at MTITC presented the implementation of the program and the sociologist Venelin Stoichev presented the results of the sociological researches on the implementation of the OPT in the period of 2007 – 2013. In his opinion 80 % of the population approves OP "Transport" and the three most popular program’s projects are "Trakia" motorway with 75% recognition, the metropolitan subway with 74% and "Struma" motorway - 67%. |