site.btaRegional Development Ministry Prioritizes Poor Regions, Water Sector Reform, Road Infrastructure

Regional Development Ministry Prioritizes
Poor Regions, Water Sector Reform,
Road Infrastructure


Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - Regional Development and Public Works
Minister Liliyana Pavlova told a news conference that her
Ministry prioritizes backward regions, water sector reform and
road infrastructure.

The Ministry is focusing on getting funding under Operational
Programme (OP) Regional Development unblocked, making maximum
payments to all contractors as a way of minimizing losses under
the operational programme, and sending out invitations for
financing under the new programme in March. Pavlova said that
the Regional Development Ministry started with a loss of 106
million euro in financing under OP Regional Development, and
that she hoped it would be reduced by at least 100 million euro
by the year's end.

The Ministry also sets a priority on completing the nationally
strategic road and water projects and launching new ones. Other
tasks include improving the investment process and preventing
unlawful construction.

Pavlova introduced her three deputies. Denitsa Nikolova will be
responsible for the management of all EU-financed programmes.
She will direct OPs Regional Development and Regions in Growth
and will coordinate the Danube Strategy. Ivan Asparouhov will be
responsible for regional policy and planning of the regions. He
will head the Council for Regional Policy - an
interdepartmental body set up by the Minister on Monday. Nikolai
Nankov will be in charge of spatial development and state
property management. Milka Gecheva and Lazar Lazarov will remain
heads of the National Construction Supervision Directorate and
the Road Infrastructure Agency respectively.
PK/DD

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