Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov responded to the attacks on the Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo highway, which the PP earlier directed at the cabinet.
„This morning, Messrs. Petkov and Tsekov made some statements addressed to this cabinet, which statements, leaving aside the psychomorphological and linguistic aspect of their political narrative, must be very clearly addressed to the responsible persons in order to provide a clear answer to the public and to dispel any speculation, if any. We are talking about allegations of corruption overpricing in the procedure for the Ruse - Veliko Tarnovo highway. This is an extremely important project of national importance, which has significance beyond the borders of Bulgaria. This is a vertical corridor and we must carefully, not only for the sake of the dignity of this cabinet, point out all the problems related to it and dispel any forms of manipulation,” the Prime Minister explained before the regular session of the Council of Ministers.
According to him, in addition, this week there may be political attacks and attacks on the government.
„The consideration in parliament of the laws on the state budget, the social security budget and that of the Health Fund begins today. This is an extremely important week, which also creates many opportunities for all kinds of political speculation, allegations and attacks on the majority and the cabinet”, claims Zhelyazkov.
Minister of Regional Development Ivan Ivanov was categorical that the process of building the highway will be extremely transparent.
„First, this is one of the most complex construction sections in this part of Bulgaria, as it is one of the most difficult possible areas for construction. Three tunnels with a total length of 2 km will be built, several bridges with a height of stairs over 30 m, construction of underpasses, overpasses, retaining walls, excavations, embankments is planned. Several nodes are planned for establishing a connection”, explained Ivanov.
„The procedure that the RIA released yesterday was prepared by several teams back then. This is not the work of this cabinet alone and was actually started by us. It is clear to all of us that with the delay in time, prices increase. The first steps in the construction of this section are in 2020. My respects to my colleague Tsekov, but I really do not understand since when he has been a fan of the "lowest price" criterion, because we have also heard such remarks from him. That is, when he was a minister or when he is now in opposition, because in his capacity as a minister we all remember that with the then Prime Minister Denkov they were breaking ground on the other two sections, which are not at all at the lowest price. added Ivanov.
Zhelyazkov called on the PP to provide the necessary facts they claim to have to the Prosecutor's Office within today's time.
„Otherwise, the speeches to the media are a form of political disinformation and manipulation, which only aims to justify the opposition's behavior towards the adoption of the budget”, he concluded.
We recall that earlier from „We continue the change” they saw a corruption scheme in the public procurement announced yesterday by the „Road Infrastructure” Agency for the construction of a section of the highway between the town of Byala and Veliko Tarnovo.
„We have witnessed a scandalous corruption scheme launched by the „Zhelyazkov” cabinet. Yesterday, the RIA announced a public procurement for the completion of the highway between Byala and Veliko Tarnovo - 60 km, at an estimated cost of nearly 3 billion leva. That is, 50 million leva per kilometer,” explained Andrey Tsekov.
“At the end of 2022, a contract was signed for the construction of the first section of this highway - 76 km - for 1.5 billion leva,” explained the MP.
According to him, inflation according to NSI data is no more than 30% in the cost price of road construction sites.
”That is, a realistic value of the new section should be 25-26 million leva, not 50 million leva. There is a 24 million leva “corruption allowance per kilometer. This is money that will be spent in a non-transparent manner. We will probably witness the awarding of the highest possible price,” the PP warned.
According to him, at the moment there is no need to proceed on the principle of engineering-design-construction.
And he added that “we are currently witnessing a relapse, which resembles the management of the first three “Borisov” cabinets.
We are talking about huge money from this “corruption allowance”, commented the co-chairman of the PP Kiril Petkov. And he added that with these funds the monument “Shipka” could be repaired, new kindergartens could be built in Sofia, etc.
“I call on the regional minister Ivan Ivanov and the prime minister Zhelyazkov to say what is happening”, he insisted.