site.btaRegions in Growth Operational Programme is Attempt at Financial Decentralization - Minister

126 ECONOMY-MINISTER-REMARKS

Regions in Growth Operational Programme is
Attempt at Financial
Decentralization - Minister


Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - The new Operational Programme (OP) Regions in Growth is an attempt at financial decentralization of municipalities, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Lilyana Pavlova said at the Bulgarian Economic Forum, quoted by her Ministry's press office.

Pavlova said that 39 big municipalities will act as intermediate bodies for the OP. She noted that strengthening the financial decentralization could increase the disparities between the regions whereas the centralized allocation of proceeds is more balanced.

Responding to a question, Pavlova said that about 20 per cent of the territory of the country has cadastral maps. What remains to be done is to review the maps for restored ownership to rectify errors in them and transfer the data to the cadastral registers. After that, the coverage with cadastral information will be 90 per cent, she said.

The Minister urged the local administrations to develop their master spatial-development plans. Only 11 of the total of 265 municipalities has master spatial-development plans, while 70 municipalities have received funding for such plans, Pavlova said. LY/ZH//