The first important step has been taken with regard to real actions for restructuring the water and sewerage sector

The first important step has been taken with regard to real actions for restructuring the water and sewerage sector. This was announced by the Regional Development and Public Works Minister Valentin Cerovski at a press conference on the occasion of the adoption by the Council of Ministers of the bill for Act on Water and Sewerage Utilities and of a sectoral strategy for the development of water and sewerage in Bulgaria, as a part of the Concept for National Strategy for Management and Development of the Water Sector in Bulgaria by 2015. The bill for the Act on Water and Sewerage Utilities puts forward the proposal for the creation of a multisectoral regulator by adding a water regulation sector to the National Commission on Energy Regulation. That scheme for the regulator was also adopted by the Council for Economic Policy, emphasized Minister Cerovski. It is envisaged that the Act will have two ordinances – for the quality of water and sewerage utilities and for fixing and regulation of the prices of water and sewerage utilities, as those two are under way. It is envisaged that the water regulator will be put into operation as of 1 January 2005. It is the first time that the Act limits prices to the quality of water and sewerage utilities, said Plamen Nikiforov, Director of Water and Sewerage Directorate in the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works /MRDPW/. It is envisaged that this year the MRDPW will draw up a bill for Act on Water and Sewerage. At the press conference was announced that the government had taken a decision canceling the procedure for concession of the water and sewerage companies in Varna and Shumen. Under agreement with the World Bank /WB/, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works will have proposed by the end of 2004 an alternative for the private sector entering into those two companies, as the alternative may be a concession, announced Minister Valentin Cerovski. He specified that the adoption of the three documents by the government entails the implementation by the MRDPW of the last WB requirements under the matrix of the PAL loans. Photo: /left to right/ Plamen Nikiforov, Director of Water and Sewerage Directorate, Minister Valentin Cerovski, Kalin Rogachev, Head of the Cabinet, and Nadejda Jordanova, Director of Law Directorate, at the press conference PR & International Relations Directorate Strategy for Management and Development of the Water and Sewerage Sector in the Republic of Bulgaria