Sofia Municipality suspends three of the major public procurements for boulevard repairs

Sofia Municipality suspends three of the major public procurements for the repairs of the bulevards "Skobelev", "Copenhagen" and "Maria Louisa". After analyses, numerous violations, a large price difference, subjectivism and bad practices have been found, which will be terminated.

In total, 24 contracts were examined, 21 of which were found as non-complaint. All of them are worth 204 million BGN. They are for infrastructure projects, kindergartens, plumbing, selection of supervision. This was announced by the Mayor of Sofia Vassil Terziev on June 4.

The check found 23 projects as problematic.

The municipality said that they are starting work on new procedures.

They are also setting up an electronic register for companies on the Sofia Municipality's website, from which they can be informed about upcoming procurements.

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GERB has circulated a position following the news that Sofia Municipality is suspending three major public procurement contracts for boulevard repairs.

"Vassil Terziev failed to tell the media that the inspections of the unfinished procedures were made by two external companies - one of Denitsa Tsekova, the wife of former minister and member of the Executive Council of "We Continue the Change" Andrei Tsekov, and the other of a lawyer who worked with the team of Kiril Petkov when he was Minister of Economy.

More than a month ago, the GERB-UDF municipal councillors announced that Vassil Terziev had given these two companies direct contracts to carry out checks on procedures under the Public Procurement Act. It is obvious that Mayor Terziev executes political contracts which he pays for with public funds. The lawfulness of the procedures under Bulgarian law is established by the competent institutions and the Bulgarian court," GERB said.

They recall that the team of former Mayor, Yordanka Fandakova, did not finalise the procedures for the selection of contractors for the construction of the boulevard. "Copenhagen" and a major renovation of the tram tracks on the boulevard. "Maria Louisa" and blvd. "Skobelev precisely on the grounds that the new mayor should be able to review them and make a decision.

"On May 7 this year, Mayor Vassil Terziev signed the decision to select a contractor for the major repair of the boulevard "Maria Luisa". Today, a month later, after his own decision has come into force, he announces that he is suspending the procedure. Why a company already chosen by Terziev a month later turned out to be unsuitable is a question of how and who will actually choose the companies with which he will work," GERB also asks.