Former Acting Minister of Energy Rosen Hristov, who is now a member of the Board of Directors of the State Consolidation Company (DKK), rejected allegations that he had any intention of heading the company.
„There was never such an intention. The information that was provided, including about salaries, was misleading and represented deliberate manipulation. I am a member of the Board of Directors and will not represent the company,“ he said in the program “The Day Begins with Georgi Lyubenov“.
According to him, the role of the board is to determine the framework for the company's work, to assist in resolving complex cases and to approve key contracts and decisions.
Regarding public comments on remuneration in state-owned companies, Hristov said that the announced amount of about 1,770 euros is not unusually high.
“The amount is not cosmic and this is the intention of the current government – not to hand out cosmic salaries,&rdash; he said.
According to Hristov, DKK is a complex holding structure that controls about 15 subsidiaries in different sectors – from the food industry to the defense industry and infrastructure.
However, he pointed out that there are indications of problems in management.
„There are signals that indicate that the companies are not managed effectively – millions for legal services, advance payments on large contracts without bank guarantees and without real progress in implementation“, said Hristov.
According to him, his task is not to look for culprits, but to propose solutions.
„My task is not to identify culprits or conduct investigations. My task is, when the problems are identified, to propose solutions.“
The former energy minister also made a critical assessment of the political situation in recent years.
„The years of timelessness – change of governments twice a year – led to a lack of strategy and consistency“, he said.
According to him, the problem is not in the individual cabinets, but in political instability.
„The parliament led the government, not the other way around, and this leads to a lack of strategy.“
Hristov also criticized the management of the energy sector.
„We buy Russian gas, then we give up on it, then we can't give up completely. One step back, one step aside – there is no strategy for anything“, he said.
According to him, during his mandate, a vision for the development of the sector was developed, which was subsequently not continued.
Commenting on the defense industry, Hristov pointed out that VMZ – Sopot is in a favorable market situation due to the growth of military orders, but this does not automatically mean good management.
“Profit does not mean optimal management“, he emphasized.
The former minister also defended the contract between “Bulgargaz“ and the Turkish company “Botaş“, stating that the criticisms against it were exaggerated.
“The contract with “Botaş“ began to be used. The bubble and the lies that were being told about this contract – that it was terrible and would bankrupt the state – are starting to breathe“, said Hristov.
According to him, the agreement was good when it was signed, but Bulgaria did not fully use the capacity provided.
“The agreement is good, but we simply did not use it and that is why we are suffering“, he said.
Hristov added that Bulgaria and Turkey have significant potential for cooperation not only in energy, but also in transport, defense and security.