In the coming days, we will take very serious actions, including I am already ready with the preliminary analysis of the structures in the ministry and I will be ready to publicly expose all the corruption schemes that have been carried out in recent years. Things are scandalous and we have the necessary strength, expertise and goodwill to seek consequences for all these thefts.
This was stated in "Panorama" by Alexander Pulev - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry.
Regarding the floods and the consequences of the disaster that hit parts of Northern Bulgaria, Pulev commented.
"The state is close to the people. In times of crisis, institutions work, the state works. We will work even faster and more diligently to be close to the people in a very difficult moment. Without fanfare, without unnecessary PR, with consistent actions to be able to activate all state resources in support of the regions. In the first days of the crisis, a crisis headquarters was created under the auspices of Prime Minister Radev. We were on the ground. Three ministers ended up on the spot in the disaster areas. I hear the people's concerns, we will work even more diligently and persistently."
There are a number of inherited crises and deficits in the system, we are currently working hard to be able to help the people and give them the confidence that we are with them, Pulev emphasized.
Regarding the excessive deficit procedure that Bulgaria will enter, the minister noted:
"The state of the fiscal system is catastrophic. Now we have started to extract the necessary statistics and macro and micro indicators that prove this thesis and this is currently validated by the EC, which is also monitoring all these processes in detail. We have a number of structural deficits that have been accumulating in recent years and accordingly now is the time for very decisive, very painful actions and for complete synchronization with the European institutions. I personally, with my first signature, on my first day of mandate, stopped all payments from all departmental structures and agencies under the umbrella of the ministry. Why? In every structure there were bombs planted, a mine on a mine, all kinds of deferred payments on public procurement, advance payments, indexations on advance payments, all kinds of corruption and other schemes that I managed to stop with just one signature, including 68 million euros through one of the departmental companies in the economy, which wanted these funds to be used through a subcontractor for indexation of a service that was not provided anyway with a focus on dams. And imagine, in recent years, if I had not taken such an action, these funds would not be available now so that we could activate them in support of the people and imagine how many such payments there were before I stopped this corrupt practice with my signature. ”
The Deputy Prime Minister specified that this is a company called "Montazhi".
When asked if there is political will to take unpopular measures to change things, Pulev replied:
"I have the great desire to stand here before you and share with enthusiasm about the good legacy that we have received. If that were the case, I would be a very happy person. We are not doing it for its own sake, we are not doing it with the idea of throwing mud at the previous rulers. We simply want to inform the Bulgarian citizens, who voted for us en masse, about the state of the administration and the structures. We have this enormous responsibility to take a number of decisive, painful measures. Some of them have already been brought to the public. And we, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and under the strict control and responsible position and behavior of Prime Minister Radev, have already put them into motion."
He commented on the illegal town of Baba Alino.
"We are not talking, we are taking action. I will not share the next moves. We will give you a straight report on the work done. Without fanfare, without ostentation, without any fake PR. We have not been voted such mass trust to do PR on the backs of the people. This is not a new topic. Two years ago, in his capacity as president, Radev escalated to all relevant services and bodies precisely in connection with this same situation. What is new at the moment is that there are already actions. There are decisive ministers - two, plus the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who were on the ground. There were briefings on this topic today. And we will get to the bottom of this whole corruption scheme. Judge us by our actions, not our promises."