New companies, including from abroad, and a total of 15 offers are participating in the new orders for cleanliness in Sofia, announced the mayor of the capital, Vasil Terziev.
"For the first time in the history of the orders for the garbage collection of Sofia, so many and so diverse companies have participated, including from abroad. This is the competition with the highest competition among the participants and is a result of the conditions for equality that we set in the order and the trust that the business has - that “the match is not fixed” and that Sofia Municipality works transparently, honestly and fairly", writes the Sofia Mayor.
"I will continue to repeat that neither I nor the municipality as an administration could have control over which companies participate in the orders. What is in our hands is to set conditions that do not discriminate against anyone - so that more companies have the opportunity to participate, as well as to work so that every business feels free and calm to enter into contractual relations with the municipality", assured Terziev.
He also writes that a total of 15 offers from 8 different companies and consortia were submitted for the seven announced positions (each position is a separate zone). Three offers were received for zones 2, 3 and 4, two for zones 5 and 6.
For zones 1 and 7, there are one offer each, which is why their application deadline is extended by 2 weeks.
A commission of experts from the Sofia Municipality and the Sofia Inspectorate is already evaluating the submitted offers. The process will go through three main stages: compliance check, detailed assessment of the technical proposal and analysis of the price-quality offer.
"The conditions in the new contracts include 2 to 10 times higher sanctions for non-performance, a smart system for automatic control of trucks, more equipment for mechanized sweeping and washing of streets and more efficient snow removal", Teriev also writes.
"We found Sofia at risk of a garbage crisis, a corrupt system and schemes that drained the budget of the capital's residents, while the city's streets remained dirty and clogged with waste. With determination and consistent actions, we stabilized the entire system and now it's time for the next step - to improve the garbage collection and street cleaning service - with high requirements and strict control", he concludes his post.