The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works rejected the claim that the supply and installation of guardrails will become 32% more expensive. The ministry said that the percentage had been calculated by comparing procedures with different scopes, durations and financial parameters.
“The terminated public procurement procedure for road restraint systems had an estimated value of BGN 960 million excluding VAT, or around €491 million, for a period of five years and covering all six regions of the country,” the MRDPW said. According to the ministry, this represents an average annual estimated value of approximately €98 million excluding VAT.
The comparison is between different contracts
The maximum estimated value of the contract between the Road Infrastructure Agency and Avtomagistrali EAD is €90 million excluding VAT for one year and covering all six regions. The three procedures announced by the state-owned company are for the supply of the necessary materials, and their combined estimated value is just over €89 million excluding VAT.
According to the MRDPW’s calculations, this represents savings of around €9 million compared with the average annual value of the terminated public procurement. The ministry said that the tender had been announced by the previous government of Rosen Zhelyazkov and subsequently terminated by Regional Development Minister Ivan Shishkov.
The ministry also disputed the specific comparison concerning the Northwestern Region. According to media reports, the estimated value there for one year had been €5.965 million excluding VAT. The MRDPW said that under the parameters of the terminated procedure, the amount had been around €14.3 million excluding VAT.
“Therefore, the claim of a 32% increase does not accurately reflect the comparison between the two procedures and misleads the public by creating a false impression through unrealistic data,” the MRDPW said.Payment only for completed activities
According to the ministry, the activities under the contract with the Road Infrastructure Agency will be commissioned at unit prices that are between 7% and 17% lower than the agency’s maximum prices. Payment will be made only for activities actually commissioned and completed, rather than for the entire maximum financial resource regardless of the work carried out.
The three procedures of Avtomagistrali have been divided so that each covers two of the country’s six regions. The MRDPW said that this approach aims to ensure the timely delivery of materials and the completion of the commissioned activities.
The ministry also noted that the state-owned company has the necessary human and technical capacity, which can be expanded if the volume of commissioned work increases.
The materials must comply with the applicable regulatory requirements, including European standards. According to the MRDPW, this is a condition for the reliability of road restraint systems and the safety of travelers.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg