Minister Zhelyazkov: The state will receive BGN 660 million in concession fees from Sofia Airport this month

We restore the balance of the concession at Sofia Airport only by postponing annual payments. They are neither forgiven nor diminished. At the same time, this month the state will receive the initial concession fee in the amount of BGN 660 million, which are provided in the revenue part of the budget. This was stated by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rosen Zhelyazkov at today's government meeting, at which the cabinet approved the decision of the Minister to amend the concession agreement.

Zhelyazkov was adamant that there was no reason to claim that the amendment harmed the state. "The only wish of the opponents is to injure or fail this clean, transparent and extremely useful for the state investment," said the Minister of Transport, recalling that for 4 months an inspection was carried out by the European Commission. In addition, there is a confirmed readiness to finance the project by 8 banks, 4 of which are international financial institutions - the EBRD, the EIB, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and the World Bank Group.

"We have signed a concession agreement, which is legally valid and binding. All topics, these, ideas, statements, politicization on the topic of a moratorium on something that is already a fact, is legal nihilism and state voluntarism. Whoever has a desire in the next government, can proceed to the termination of the contract with all the consequences of this, "said Minister Zhelyazkov. According to him, with such a development, the state will lose 660 million levs, risks will be created for the implementation of the state budget, and also our largest airport will not be able to be competitive like those in neighboring countries.

Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov also pointed out that at the moment the aviation sector is extremely strongly and severely affected by the pandemic. "Without a concessionaire, the risk of management and operation will remain in the face of the state airport operator," Zhelyazkov said, adding that only for the first two months of this year the losses due to greatly reduced traffic and greatly reduced passenger traffic at constant airport costs BGN 11 million. "All EU member states have taken the necessary possible measures to support their aviation industries," the Minister of Transport recalled.