site.btaNational Retrofitting Programme Delayed by 15 Months, Minister Ivan Ivanov Tells NAMRB Delegates

Attending the 38th General Assembly of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB) in Sofia, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Ivan Ivanov said that the National Programme on retrofitting of multifamily residential buildings has been delayed by 15 months.

Ivanov clarified that the delay was caused by the leadership of the Regional Development and Public Works Ministry in 2024, rather than by the municipalities. According to him, this delay puts the programme’s implementation at risk.

"There is less than a year left to complete these projects, yet some municipalities have not even selected contractors," Ivanov noted. He explained that after identifying these issues, his ministry proposed a legislative amendment to the national budget law, allowing for the restoration of the National Programme on retrofitting of multifamily residential buildings over a three-year period.

Ivanov added that the programme will be fully financed through the Bulgarian Development Bank.