There will be no drastic increase in heating prices this winter. If there is a correction in the price of heating from January 1, it will be symbolic, because people cannot afford it. De facto "Toplofikatsiya" is managed in such a way that it provides a social service, it is not on a purely market principle. This was said in the program "Metronome" on Radio "Focus" by the independent municipal councilor in SOS Dragomir Ivanov.
In his words, "Toplofikatsiya" will continue to sink. We will have a less expensive service for the winter, but there will be no permanent service, “ because the network is in a deplorable state, the generating capacities too, and we will have days when we will be cold,“ he is categorical.
“The state has the resources - both financial and regulatory, and under the contracts with BEH, and under the contract with “Bulgargaz“ to renegotiate and this interest rate to be at least the basic interest rate, without additional points, because if these interest costs are included, then the heating in Sofia will become more expensive by 40%“. The state has the financial resources to rehabilitate the company, Ivanov also reminded and gave an example of the “Maritsa East 2” TPP, which has been financed in all kinds of ways for years. "So they could also bear the financial burden of "Toplofikatsiya"."
The second option is the accounting trick proposed years ago by Assen Vassilev, in which the company's debt would ultimately be written off in order to have a more serious interest in a concession, which option, however, was dropped with the fall of the PP-DB government. And the third option, according to the expert, is a concession for which there are two options: long-term and during the concession period, the debts would be cleared through a concession fee, the other is for the company to be clean and then move in that direction.
"That is, there are several options, we are ready to talk about each of them. There is expertise in the Municipal Council to some extent, plus the Sofia Municipality. But the commitment is the state and it must step into its functions. The state cannot be passive for a company that is decapitalized and cannot operate and fulfill its license“.