Minister Shishkov: The Interconnector in one week turned the caretaker government into a team

With illegal and shoddy construction, the traces always remain, whatever happens, makes and speaks

The completion of the interconnector between Bulgaria and Greece was the most important project that the caretaker government completed. It was a priority in my work as Minister of Regional Development and Public Works. In just a week, it has turned the caretaker government into a team, with strong joint working. This is what the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works architect Ivan Shishkov said in the morning block of BNT “The Day Begins”. He stressed that the teamwork continues in the construction of the national children’s hospital, which should start towards the end of this year.

In the programme, Minister Shishkov stressed the need for the adoption of a legal mechanism to regulate illegal construction through a change in the Spatial Planning Act, not with PR campaigns. “Illegal construction on roads was mandated from 2018 to 2020 by the then heads of the RIA. If anyone should be held accountable, it is the board of directors of the RIA between 2018 and 2020. The main problem is in contracting,” the minister said. According to him, the state cannot afford to turn a blind eye or hide it from the public. He added that with illegal and shoddy construction, the trail is always left, whatever happens, does and says. “Political talk is not problem solving. The solution lies in changes in the law so that these constructions can be analysed. Those constructions which are within the norm will be declared tolerable. For those where there is a problem, we will make the builders correct them,” architect Shishkov clarified. He added that this way citizens will have peace of mind that they are travelling on roads without a problem. He was adamant that by exposing the illegal constructions commissioned by the state, he was not making political attacks on parties and individual politicians. “There is likely to be an investigation into these awarding of contracts, but the earlier a mechanism is found to regulate this illegal construction, the public will get the benefit,” he said. According to the regional minister, the main problem for illegal sites is in the contracting out of, for example, major repairs such as ongoing repairs without designs and without building permits. Apart from roads, dams have also been repaired in this way. Minister Shishkov pointed out that the majority of the dams repaired did not have approved designs and building permits. He gave the example of Topolovo reservoir, Asenovgrad region, which was repaired without construction permits. In January last year an accident occurred on the reservoir, i.e. the situation worsened after repairs and money was given. “If we want to make an analysis about this construction, whether it meets the norms or not, whether it is fit for operation, we need to check it by law, Shishkov said, adding that the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and DNCS are ready to make the analysis, but by law.

In the programme, Minister Shishkov also revealed a new scandalous case related to the toll system. He informed that to date there is no evidence that the electrical cables and external connections that supply electricity to the frames and cameras of the toll facilities are legal and were built with building permits. “When the toll system was being implemented in 2019 the then Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works Nikolay Nankov had asked DNCS in what manner and order the plans should be approved. They replied that there must be a building permit and a detailed development plan where necessary. He has notified the company that is supposed to execute it, but at this time we have no record that the work that has been done has a building permit. It may turn out that we will add other objects to the scale of the construction illegally awarded by the state,” explained architect Shishkov. He was adamant that the cameras and the frames of the toll system are legal, with building permits issued, but there are no documents for the external connections. “I have commissioned a check, including we will check in the municipalities whether they have approved construction papers, but in the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works there are none and it will probably turn out that there are no construction permits for most of the cables,” architect Shishkov stressed.

The regional minister said that the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works is carrying out an inspection of the yellow pavements and Graf Ignatyev Street in Sofia because the renovations were made with European money. “The inspections are not an attack on Sofia Municipality. If we manage to solve the case, we will help the municipality, not hinder it. We have extended the deadline. If we had not done so, Sofia would have lost over BGN 20 million in March,” architect Shishkov said.

The Minister of Regional Development and Public Works also drew attention to the problem of W&S infrastructure in the country. He summarised that the networks are in a very poor condition, and at the same time, due to poor planning from years ago, we risk failure and could lose European funds for its repair. “Unfortunately we have a huge failure with the absorption of funds. An emblematic example is Varna - there is practically no construction started on any sites. The municipality has delayed with the master plans, land expropriations, etc. This shows that before doing big projects we need to have planning in order to build something legally. This is the problem of a government from 6-7 years back that could not plan quickly and efficiently. That’s why we don’t have planned motorways, that’s why we have illegal construction, that’s the main reason. Politicians should take note and not repeat themselves,” he stressed.