The "Glavchev" cabinet slow payments to ministries. In November, the cabinet did not approve a decree to finance the capital expenditures of the departments. There are delays in the ministries for the payment of invoices, and the reason for this is the difficult situation with the treasury. In the Ministry of Defense, he was badly shortchanged with the money for payments to external companies that ensure the preparation and repair of equipment in the three types of armed forces - the Armed Forces, the Air Force and the Navy, sources from the department commented to Frognews.
Decisions on the allocation of funds for capital expenditures of the ministries are approved monthly by the government based on reports submitted by the first-level appropriators by the 20th. Usually, the decrees are a fact by the end of the specific month with few exceptions, it is clear from the website of the Ministry of Finance.
However, the latest decree is from October 7 - for planned expenses for September. From this it follows that at the moment decrees are late for two months - October and November. There is no way to know the total amount of the expected payment costs, but the amounts should be significant. Year-end capital expenditure performance is typically stronger because there are technological delays around the start of construction. The latest decree from October, which covers expenses for September, is worth 190 million. BGN For projects of the ministries and their secondary managers in 2024. BGN 8.7 billion were pledged. together with the money under the operational programs.
The capital program of the ministries this year was included with an explicit list to the law on the state budget together with the investment program of municipalities. As soon as the lists were adopted, questions arose as to what financial resources the programs specifically for the 2024 budget year are provided with.
The problem in the Ministry of Defense is especially big in view of the state of the army and the wars not far from us. It's getting even bigger after a pay rise was promised next year. How is this going to be when in terms of economy and military per capita, we are better paid than the US military. And as noted by economists and financiers, the money there goes to training, technology development, defense investments. And with us, we are taking steps towards a policy that will lead to a deepening of the problems in defense and companies.
There has been a chronic shortage of serviceable aircraft over the years for all aviation platforms – the MiG-29 fighters, the Su-25 attack aircraft, the L-39 combat training aircraft, even for our "Spartan" transport aircraft. The same applies to the "Cougar" helicopters. and especially for the Mi-17 helicopters”, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov revealed a few days ago.
Most of the modernization projects in the Ground Forces are in the administrative final stage. The administrative final is that we are ready as the parameters of what we want, we must move on to negotiations, he explained. For large projects, negotiations are between the state and the company or another state and their financing. But this phase does not depend on us, says General Deyan Deshkov of the Infantry Guard.
There are also problems with securing the ships from the Navy.
Danger looms for modernization in all three types of armed forces.
Even if these delayed costs are deferred as a payment to next year, they have already been accrued and will go into this year's deficit accounts, experts explained. Delaying them and paying in the first months of the year, when there is no solid income, is also a problem.