site.btaBulgarian Energy Holding Provides BGN 56 Mln for Coal Miners' Wages

The Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) will provide BGN 56 million in funding to Mini Maritsa Iztok (Maritsa East Mines) by decision of Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov. The minister broke the news on Tuesday during a working meeting in Radnevo with the leadership of the coal-mining company and the Maritsa East 2 Thermal Power Plant (TPP).

The money will go towards coal workers' wages, social insurance and payments to the Exchequer, among other purposes, for August and September. "The normal and safe operation of the mines will thus be ensured," Malinov said.

A sectoral council will be held by the end of August with trade union representatives of the state-owned companies of the Maritsa East Energy Complex to discuss all current issues, he said.

Tuesday's meeting discussed the possibility for employees of the mines and TPP 2 to avail themselves of an early retirement programme which allows them to retire and become entitled to receive a pension up to five years early. About 1,700 workers in the two companies can use the opportunity over a period of five years, the Energy Ministry said in a press release.

Energy Ministry experts are in the middle of talks with the European Commission for a positive decision on state aid. The government plans to increase its stake in BEH by four annual cash contributions of BGN 250 million each in the next four years, or BGN 1 billion in total. The money will be used to increase the capital of Mini Maritsa Iztok to fund the amelioration of the coal-mining area and bring it into sustainable condition.