site.btaDefence Ministry Budget to Reach 2,000 Million Leva by 2020

113 MILITARY-BUDGET-COMMENT

Defence Ministry Budget
to Reach 2,000 Million Leva
by 2020


Sofia, October 9 (BTA) - With current defence outlays of about
1,000 million leva, the figure is expected to double by 2020,
accounting for between 1.3 to 1.4 per cent of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), and to gradually increase to 2 per cent of the
GDP, Deputy Defence Minister Dessislava Yossifova told reporters
on Thursday.

Yossifova made the comment at the Industrial Day which the
ministries of defence and of economy and energy organized on
Thursday within an ongoing Industrial Forum at the Boyana
government residence in Sofia. The idea of the Industrial Day is
to provide information to defence industry representatives
about how Bulgarian ordnance plants can apply to be included in
projects implemented by NATO and EU defence agencies.

Permanent Defence Secretary Dobromir Totev said that half of the
money earmarked for modernization will directly reach Bulgarian
companies. Totev spoke about a project for the supply of patrol
ships which could be built in Bulgaria. Commenting the project
for a multi-purpose aircraft Totev said that Bulgarian companies
will take part mainly in infrastructure maintenance, noting
that Bulgarian companies are working at the moment on the
extension of the Bezmer airbase in Southern Bulgaria.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Industrial Day, Totev
said that the Defence Ministry is committed to aiding the
development of the Bulgarian defence industry.

Chairman of NATO's Investment Committee Col. Konstantin Nesterov
urged the industry representatives to be pro-active, to create
and search for opportunities. LY /ZH/