We will not allow privatization of the municipal company "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" EAD. This was stated by Ivan Takov, chairman of the BSP - Sofia and the group of the Local Coalition "BSP for Bulgaria" in the SOS on the air of Euronews television, quoted by the press center of the BSP - Sofia. He added that there are still various options for saving the indebted municipal company.
"The current management of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" has been in place for about 12 months. And the company's problems have been accumulating for over 30 years, commented Ivan Takov. Without justifying the current management, but miracles in "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" cannot happen".
Ivan Takov noted that the municipal councilors from the BSP have long been insisting on modernization, since this enterprise cannot exist in any other way within the current regulatory framework. "For many years I have been listening to various ideas for the privatization of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia". However, let it be clear - the BSP will be the guarantor that the company will remain public property", he said. This is extremely important, since the enterprise is of strategic importance for national security. In addition, it also has a very serious social function. It provides heating for over a million people in Sofia".
The chairman of the BSP - Sofia recalled that "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" accumulated its largest debts during the gas crisis caused by the government of Kiril Petkov. "We all remember how his cabinet unilaterally terminated the contract with "Gazprom". We also remember the price of gas, which then exceeded 300 leva per megawatt-hour, said Ivan Takov. - At the same time, in the mix of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" KEVR recognized only 90 leva per megawatt-hour. The gap between the price at which "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" bought gas and the one that KEVR recognized was huge. It was not right for citizens to be burdened with covering the difference. Thus, debts jumped sharply and currently exceed 2 billion leva. And for the umpteenth time we are reaching the point where we have to think about how to solve this huge problem. Modernization remains the only reasonable approach. At the proposal of the BSP group in the last mandate, the SOS adopted by an overwhelming majority a report on external management of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia". This is not privatization, nor is it hidden privatization, as some are trying to make it out to be. It is about an external company that will manage the company, based on a detailed analysis, and make the necessary investments in modernization, more precisely - to build the so-called cogeneration.
The chairman of the Socialist group in the SOS explained the difference between a concession and external management of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia". "The concession means that the SOS supports a decision to lease for 35 years, for example, all the company's assets. And to leave it to the concessionaire to dispose of it, as stipulated in the concession agreement, he explained. - In the case of external management, the company's assets will not be transferred. Only "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" will be managed professionally. Initial talks had begun during the last term. But, as has often happened, things were slow, unwound, so that the end of the mandate would come and nothing would happen".
Ivan Takov noted that at the moment the mayor and the administration are doing absolutely nothing in the case of "Toplofikatsiya Sofia". "A new analysis should have been done, at least that's what Terziev had assured us. However, so far we haven't seen any movement. And "Toplofikatsiya Sofia" is sinking deeper and deeper into debt".