Komitova: The suspension of repairs will be canceled, we are looking for money to pay with the companies

The order of the fired on Tuesday head of RIA Apostol Minchev will be revoked and the current repairs on the roads will continue. In addition, funds are sought to pay the companies that carry them out for the activities they have already carried out. This was announced by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Violeta Komitova at a meeting with mayors, regional governors and construction companies on the occasion of the suspended repairs. "We are doing everything possible to pay for the repair works on the republican roads so far to the construction companies," she stressed. He added that the idea is with decrees of the Council of Ministers to provide the government with funds to pay the companies.

According to her, the letter sent to companies and local authorities to stop road repairs has no legal value. In a day or two, RIA will have a new management and it will immediately cancel it. Komitova once again stressed that the already started repairs will continue until their completion, and payments will be made in stages in tranches.

During the meeting, which lasted more than 3 hours, the local authorities informed Komitova that most of the sites have already been partially completed, but even the activities carried out on them have not been paid by RIA, and for some of them payments have not been made since the beginning of the year. And a number of companies responsible for winter maintenance have also not received their money from the Road Agency. There were also contractors who received assignments from RIA for delayed and retrospective activities.

"All the vicious practice, formulated as ongoing repairs and maintenance, needs to be changed," the regional minister said. According to her, under the guise of the wording "current repairs and maintenance" in many cases new construction is carried out without the relevant documents.

"Connectivity must be built between the individual regions, construction must not stop and territories cannot be chosen in which to work along political lines, I am convinced of that," Komitova stressed.

The Minister proposed to the participants in the meeting to start holding such regular meetings at least once every 3 months.