Public procurement for BGN 5 billion in construction next year
“The construction business can rely on public procurement worth BGN 5 billion in 2011,” Regional Development and Public Works Minister Rosen Plevneliev promised at the opening of the new school year in the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UACEG). The funds are under the municipalities; operational programs; ministries of the environment and water; of regional development and public works; of transport, information technologies and communications, said Plevneliev. According to him, however, the rest depends on the private sector and its potential to invest, run risks and build. The Regional Minister explained that according to calculations of MRDPW, between BGN 590 and 900 million can be paid on OP “Regional Development” next year. The amount of the sum depends on whether possible beneficiaries will be able to get advance payments between 5 and 10% or up to 35% of the whole sum. In case the advance payments are up to 35%, a total BGN 900 million will be paid. If advance payments are done along the standard system when executors get from 5 to 10%, a total BGN 590 million will be paid. This is the sum that the Ministry of Finance offers in the budget of MRDPW for payment along the operational program. The entering into force of the second variant does not mean that there will be stopped, unfulfilled or delayed projects, Plevneliev was categorical and he did not exclude the possibility some projects next year to have higher than standard advance payments. Despite that the budget of the MRDPW for 2011 is very limited and of 13 policies for which the Ministry is in charge, nothing will be possible to implement in 11 of them, noted the Minister. As an example he gave the limited funds for the water supply and sewerage sector – BGN 5.5 million, protection against landslides – BGN 1.2 million, the Roma housing problems – BGN 50,000. “In this sense the year will be zero from the point of view of construction in similar sectors. For the time being the aim is at least to prepare projects in the above-mentioned areas,” concluded Rosen Plevneliev. The strategy of the regional ministry the minister summed up stating that “in the conditions of crisis the decision is to invest, not to spend the little resources that we have. To invest in projects with the highest possible value added and such projects are the highways which have a phenomenal effect on the economy.”