Over the past two months, immediately after the initial publication of the list of over 4,400 state properties with no longer needed, the representatives of “Yes, Bulgaria“ in the National Assembly, the local authorities and our activists have taken a number of actions for a public and in-depth discussion of the properties proposed for sale.
This is stated in an official position by “Yes, Bulgaria” on the occasion of the proposal of the Ministerial Program for Exercising Rights on Properties - State Property, and on Properties - Property of State Public Enterprises to be approved by the National Assembly. We publish the position without editorial intervention:
"We initiated requests for the gratuitous transfer, where appropriate and in the public interest, of dozens of state properties to municipalities throughout the country. We insisted on more transparency, clear criteria for determining “no longer necessary“, for guarantees that each sale will be carried out after conducting transparent auctions and determining a starting price according to a methodology consistent with the realities of the market.
The program for exercising rights over properties – state property, and over properties – property of state-owned public enterprises, is marked by a disturbing lack of procedures, criteria and control.
The most disturbing thing is the absence in this process of cooperation between the state and Bulgarian municipalities, which led to the absurd situation in which the Council of Ministers and the MRDPW were surprised to learn that a no longer necessary for the state could turn out to be a need for municipalities and citizens. Especially when it comes to properties in urban and municipal centers that can be used for schools and kindergartens, parks, streets, cultural infrastructure, sports facilities and others. No one has thought to ask the local authorities.
„Yes, Bulgaria“ insists, instead of abdicating responsibility and transferring it to parliament, that the Council of Ministers update the list of properties - state-owned with no longer necessary, after:
1. Conducting, with the assistance of the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria, in-depth consultations with representatives of local authorities on the free transfer of properties to be used for municipal needs;
2. Publishing detailed criteria for determining the no longer needed properties – state property, as well as motives for inclusion in the program for each property;
3. Publishing a detailed methodology for determining the starting price for tender procedures;
4. Publishing the data in an open format for the purpose of easier analysis, increased transparency and broad public awareness".