The release of BGN 1 billion for thermal power plants is a great victory

The allocation of BGN 1 billion for thermal power plants by the National Assembly is a great victory. This is what the mayor of Stara Zagora and member of the executive committee of GERB Jivko Todorov told bTV.

“This is a breath of fresh air for everyone who works at Maritsa Iztok TPP. A large part of people from Stara Zagora work in the thermal power plant and in the mines. I am satisfied with today’s decision of the parliament and as mayor I am glad that they will be able to keep their jobs and not worry about tomorrow”, he said on the floor of the allocated funding for a period of four years (2024-2028).

He explained that people’s jobs are threatened by the so-called green deal and the annual increase in the price of emissions.

According to him, the allocation of these funds does not provide a complete solution to the problem of coal plants, but in this transitional period, miners and energy workers must be retrained, as well as find an alternative to these jobs.

“We in the municipality have prepared projects for industrial zones. One of them is the Zagore industrial zone, which is almost full of investors. Elenino Industrial Zone, for which we have concluded two major contracts with investors for the creation of nearly 800 jobs, is also under development. Another such large project is the airport in Stara Zagora, which is also to be turned into an industrial zone. This is already a state project because the airport itself is state-owned. There – on the territory of these 2,200 acres, many investors could find their place”, he further explained.

For the mayor of Stara Zagora, it is most important that people have jobs, as well as that the commitment to reclamation of the mines is fulfilled, so as not to lead to an ecological catastrophe in the region.

The idea, according to him, is to give the funds approved by the National Assembly as salaries to the miners and energy workers, who in turn are involved in the reclamation of the mines in the next four years.

“It is not by chance that today in the National Assembly some deputies said: ‘Let’s not give this money to external companies.’ I am absolutely in agreement with the mines having to deal with their own resources in fulfilling reclamation commitments. In this way, we will keep these people in Stara Zagora, while in the meantime we will create alternative jobs for them”, Zivko Todorov also pointed out.

He also drew attention to the reverse process – the abrupt closure of mines and power plants. According to him, not only would people lose their jobs, but the state would also lose a lot because “the unemployed don’t pay taxes.”