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Construction industry organizations: We need a new investment climate

Council of Chairmen is set up, five key priorities are defined

A council of chairmen of construction industry organizations was set up. In the BCC headquarters met all associations, publicly recognized and legally regulated, related to this key economic sector – the Bulgarian Construction Chamber (BCC), the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria (CAB), the Chamber of Engineers in the Investment Design (CEID), the Chamber of Engineers in Geodesy (CEG), the Bulgarian Association of the Architects and the Engineering Consultants (BAAEC) and the National Real Estates Association (NREA).

The meeting was initiated by the Construction Chamber, CAB and NREA. “The aim is to collect together all industry organizations, to unite efforts and improve the regulatory framework, including public procurement,” said in his opening speech the host Eng. Svetoslav Glosov, BCC Chairman.

“We all know our problems. In recent years has not been given a single lev for the development of the cadaster,” said Eng. Angel Yanakiev, Chairman of CEG. In his words the geodesy community is facing a total collapse. “I think it was high time to get all the professional organizations together and to protect our common interest, which is also interest of the country,” he added.

“We produce unemployed. We need amendments to the Public Procurement Act, the Spatial Development Act and other legal documents to be able to work. Together we can lead active international policy and seek foreign markets,” said Arch. Vladimir Damyanov, Chairman of CAB.

According to him, with joint efforts we should work for mandatory participation of experts in the committees on spatial urban development to local authorities. He warned that the political crisis is used to publish public procurement with poor tasks.

The Chairman of CEID Eng. Stefan Kinarev supported the view that there should be clear rules and regulations to prevent twofold interpretation. In his words, not standards but minimum technical requirements for the sites should be pledged, as in other European countries.

“Construction pushes economy forward, it is an indicator of its development,” said Eng. Svetlana Gyudzheklieva, NREA board member.

According to Eng. Emil Todorov of BAAEC without a law on supervisors, cannot be removed one-man companies that do work only on paper and do not go to construction sites. “In recent years there has been a huge dumping with us,” he said.

“We, brokers, also need legal regulation and expect your support,” said Ivan Velkov, NREA Chairman.

“Together we have greater weight before institutions to change things. For four years we have explained what standard documents are until they were convinced that we do not create restrictions on participation in tenders but we stop the creative work,” explained BCC Executive Director Eng. Ivan Boykov.

Eventually they all decided to set up a Council of the chairmen of professional organizations in construction, which should consider key problems in the sector and have common views to institutions. Work will be on legal regulations regarding the construction industry – analysis, status and suggestions for changes.