site.btaFuture Concession Royalty for Sofia Airport Diverted from Pension System Stability Fund

Sofia, November 30 (BTA) - A one-off royalty for the future concession for Sofia Airport is not going to go into the Pension System Stability Fund (Silver Fund) after Parliament voted a legal provision to this effect following heated debates late on Thursday.

By law, the proceeds from concessions should go into the Silver Fund.

The Left called for pulling out the motion and reversing the plans for selling a concession for Sofia Airport. They argued that the airport is making a profit and is part of the national security system - and therefore the ownership shouldn't change.

The Socialist deputies urged the majority to start revoking concessions, if they want to revisit the privatization deals as they have said they would.

Dragomir Stoynev (Socialist) suggested that a professional management company should instead be hired to run the airport.

The MPs of Volya are against the concession plans for Sofia Airport as well.

The airport welcomed its 6-millionth passenger for this year on November 30, which is without precedent in its history.

Julian Angelov of the United Patriots took the floor to remind the Socialists that it was during their government when the airports of Bourgas and Varna went private.

After a prolonged exchange in the plenary, the ruling majority dismissed the arguments of the opposition and voted that the one-off royalty from the future airport concession is not going to go to the Silver Fund.

The government of GERB has previously decided that the receipts from the future airport concession would be used for repaying the debts of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ).