site.btaEnvironment Minister Vassileva: All Available Funding under OP Environment Will Likely Be Absorbed

Environment Minister Vassileva: All Available Funding under OP Environment Will Likely Be Absorbed

Golden Sands Resort, near Varna, September 26 (BTA) - The
Operational Programme Environment is making good progress and
all available funding will likely be absorbed, said Environment
Minister Ivelina Vassileva here on Saturday. She was speaking at
 a workshop for journalist.

"I hope that no funding will be lost. Work is underway and we
are ready to verify the  expenditure applications submitted by
beneficiaries," said Vassileva.

The deadline for the implementation of projects is October 31
2015 and there are prerequisites that no funding will be lost.

By September 24, contracted projects totalled 4.136 billion
leva, or 121.56 per cent of the programme's budget, said Yana
Georgieva, head of the programme's Managing Authority. Some
3.178 billion leva have been paid out, or 93.39 per cent of the
available resources, including advance payments. Payments
without advances add up to 2.169 billion leva, or 63.74 per cent
 of the programme's budget.

Some 208 projects, worth 429 million leva, have been concluded,
while another 226 projects are still underway.

Under the priority Water Axis, 27 water treatment plants have
been constructed, and another 12 have been repaired. A total of
2,517 km of water and sewerage pipes have been laid.

Sofia's waste treatment plant is the largest single investment
under the programme and is expected to reduce the deposed waste
by up to 70 times. Some 126 buses have been purchased under the
programme which will reduce the harmful emissions in the capital
 Sofia by up to six times. Also ten underground trains, trams
for Sofia, 100 trolleybuses for Bourgas, Varna, Stara Zagora and
 Pleven and fire extinguishing equipment have been supplied
under the programme.