The mayor of Pleven asks the finance minister to transfer BGN 600,000 from the municipal budget for urgent road repairs

The municipal council of Pleven adopted a decision authorizing the mayor Dr. Valentin Hristov to propose to the Minister of Finance the transformation of a targeted subsidy for capital expenditures in the municipal budget into a transfer to finance costs for the implementation of urgent ongoing repairs of municipal roads. The total amount of the approved financial means is BGN 599,900. The proposal was adopted with 37 votes “for”, “against” and “abstentions” – none.

The budgetary relations of the municipalities with the Central Budget for 2024 are determined by Art. 53 of the Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for the current year. The main budgetary relationships for the Municipality of Pleven are BGN 124,184.9 thousand, of which BGN 3,758.7 thousand is the targeted subsidy for capital expenditures.

With Decision No. 79 of 15.02.2024 of the Municipal Council – Pleven, the budget of the Municipality for 2024 was adopted, part of which is the Investment Program. With funds from the targeted subsidy for capital costs, basic repairs and construction of objects for BGN 3,158,800 were calculated. The difference from BGN 599,900 to the full amount of the subsidy was planned as a reserve, according to the instructions of the Minister of Finance for the compilation and implementation of budgets of the municipalities and the accounts for the EU funds for 2024.

According to the regulatory orders for the implementation of the state budget, the targeted subsidy for capital costs can be transformed into a transfer for other targeted costs of the Municipality for carrying out urgent ongoing repairs of municipal roads, street network and buildings – public municipal property. Today’s decision of the Municipal Council is essentially the same.

On the territory of the municipality of Pleven, 18 municipal roads with a total length of 147,230 km are maintained, connecting the populated areas of the municipality, and the financial means for awarding repair works on them are extremely insufficient. After analyzing the state of the municipal road network, 6 road sections are planned for repair: Varbitsa – Bukovlak; Pleven – Kashin – Brestovets; Tarnene – Pleven; Pleven – the town of Kaylaka; Bohot – Tuchenitsa – Radishevo; Pleven – Pelishat. The planned repairs of these sections are qualified as ongoing, because they include the implementation of construction and installation works to remove local damage due to the normal operation of the road and damage to the road surface, road equipment and accessories, which do not change the construction and technical characteristics of the traffic lane.

After debate and clarifications on the proposal made by representatives of the municipal administration, the Municipal Council adopted a decision authorizing the Mayor of the Municipality, Dr. Valentin Hristov, to prepare a proposal to the Minister of Finance to transform a targeted subsidy for capital expenditures into a transfer for financing costs for carrying out urgent ongoing repairs of municipal roads and street network in the amount of BGN 599,900 in total, as follows:

– Varbitsa – Bukovlak – BGN 100,000;

– Pleven – Kashin – Brestovets – BGN 99,900;

– Tarnene – Pleven – BGN 100,000;

– Pleven – Kaylaka – BGN 99,999;

– Bohot – Tuchenitsa – Radishevo – BGN 100,000;

– Pleven – Pelishat – BGN 100,001.