The State must safeguard its economic interests before entering into contracts, Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev said during a meeting with the Union of Transport Trade Unions in Bulgaria (UTB). At the Union's request, Deputy Ministers Hristina Velinova and Anna Natova also took part in the discussions.
Plovdiv Airport is a strategic asset and should be developed as a hub for cargo and intermodal transport, while also expanding its network of passenger destinations where supported by a sound economic case, the Minister of Transport and Communications said in response to the issues raised by the UTB regarding the airport’s future. “There should be transparent cooperation with the business community through either a concession or a public-private partnership,” he added. Pre-concession analyses commissioned by the ministry’s previous leadership are currently under way. These will either be validated by an international institution or supplemented by an additional independent assessment. The President of the UTB, Lyubomir Drenski, noted that the trade unions are a partner that shares the same strategic vision.
Regarding Sofia Airport, Minister Peev said that the review of the economic analysis of the concession is continuing.
During the meeting, Lyubomir Drenski said that there is a widespread public perception that, in recent years, the State has been steering companies in the railway sector towards insolvency. There was broad agreement that the holding company structure has played a highly questionable role. Commenting on the contract with Ivkoni Express for the provision of rail transport services, Minister Peev stressed that both an audit and an inspection by the Ministry's Inspectorate are currently under way.
