site.btaParliament Adopts Updated Project to Acquire Two Multi-role Patrol Vessels for Navy

Sofia, July 19 (BTA) - Parliament adopted here on Thursday the updated project to acquire multi-role modular patrol ships for the Navy with 135 votes to 9 against and 1 abstention. The decision was supported by all parliamentary groups except Volya. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov and Chief of Defence Gen. Andrei Botsev attended the discussions in Parliament.

The implementation of a project for the procurement of two patrol ship with a projected maximum cost of 820 million leva, which was adopted by the 43rd National Assembly in June of 2016, was scrapped at the end of 2017 because there were no candidates. The main changes in the updated project concern increasing the maximum projected cost to 984 million leva VAT included, with the 164 million leva difference between the two projects set to be paid out in 2025 and 2026.

Two new options for the acquisition have been added - the purchase of a new defence product or manufacturing under license, in combination with developing a new product, and modifying the existing one. The multi-functional modular patrol ships are to be equipped with basic weaponry and equipment, as well as additional weaponry and equipment, which are optional and will be included in the contract depending on whether funding is available.

Defence Minister Karakachanov thanked for the parliamentary groups' support. The projects for the modernization of the Bulgarian Army can no longer be postponed, he noted, adding that the Soviet-era ships currently in service are so old that it is a matter of up to three years before they are decommissioned. The Navy command has decided that four ships are needed, but this project will start with two, Karakachanov explained.

Commenting MPs' doubts about the existence of corruption in the projects implementation, the Minister said that there is a risk of corruption in everything, but the question is how to minimize it as much as possible. According to him, Bulgarian and global companies should compete to achieve the best possible terms for a contract.