site.btaFree Retrofitting Will Begin from Big Buildings - Minister

Free Retrofitting
Will Begin from
Big Buildings - Minister


Sofia, December 22 (BTA) - The implementation of the National
Programme on retrofitting of Multifamily Residential Buildings
will begin with the biggest panel and reinforced concrete
buildings with at least 36 flats, Minister of Regional
Development and Public Works Liliana Pavlova said emerging from
a joint meeting with the National Association of Municipalities
in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB). Smaller buildings will
also be retrofitted but at a later stage, she explained.

Todor Popov, Chairman of the Governing Board of NAMRB, voiced
satisfaction that at last the state has addressed the problem
with these buildings, which provides housing to around 2.5
million people.

Pavlova recalled that there are a total of 70,259 panel and
reinforced concrete buildings including 1.123 million flats. Of
these 98 per cent are in 28 big cities.

The state will ensure a state guarantee of 1,000 million leva
for the Fund for the Retrofitting of Residential Buildings,
which is envisaged in the 2015 budget. The Finance Ministry will
provide the 1,000 million leva guarantee to the Bulgarian
Development Bank, which will set up the Fund for the
Retrofitting of Buildings. The guarantee will be used to attract
a financial resource from international and other financial
institutions for the implementation of the programme, Pavlova
explained.

The Bulgarian Development Bank will provide this resource
through the municipalities to the associations of condominium
property of each building, willing to take part in the
procedure.

The municipality will select energy auditors and contractors.
The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works will act
as coordinating authority and will issue methodological
instructions.

Under the current retrofitting programme, 25 per cent of the
financing is provided by the people, respectively, by the state
and the rest comes from European financing. At least 100-120
buildings are likely to be finished under this programme in
2015. /VI/TK/





/ТК/