The amount available from European programs for energy renovation of residential buildings in Bulgaria is 2.3 billion leva for the next five years, and the funds allocated to the Bulgarian Development Bank for similar purposes are 2.5 billion leva. Bulgaria has 4.8 billion leva, which is sufficient considering the pace of people's association and the preparation of documents. This was stated to BTA by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev in Gabrovo before his participation in the forum "Mayors Speak", which discusses energy efficiency and sustainable development.
Bulgaria must set itself a much more ambitious goal - by 2050, 60 percent of all multi-family residential buildings must be renovated. This process must proceed evenly and have clear rates, Donchev said.
"All condominiums that have walked the path and joined forces will receive financing. This will be done from different financial sources, because in the last three to four years, the state has allowed us to have competing financial instruments. In some, the co-financing was 20 percent, in others 5 percent, in others 100 percent, which creates confusion in the market. Many households joined forces, but remained in the so-called. reserve list in the program of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, which categorically must be financed. I claim that the assessment was not carried out in the best way then," the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out.
In his words, all citizens who have walked the path will receive financing and will renovate their homes, this should happen as quickly as possible.
When asked whether the financing will be 100 percent, Donchev indicated that we will move towards the model imposed 10 years ago for full 100 percent financing of the renovation.
"Another issue is that all the institutions we have worked with have always claimed that some co-financing should gradually appear over the years, but the announcements during the preparation of the program will be with 100 percent financing from the state. The most important thing is to avoid the situation in which a panel block will turn out to be uninhabitable. A survey by a design engineer must be carried out, an inspection and revision must be carried out before it is sealed and sanitized. This must happen in order to be sure that the block will be fit for habitation," Donchev added.
He also pointed out that today, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, a decision was made to establish a Center for Defense Innovations.
"This Center will be part of the Sofia Tech Park, it will be a directorate of the park and, together with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth and the Ministry of Economy, it will be this transmission that will ensure cooperation between Bulgarian science, industry and the armed forces. This must happen so that the billions that we will invest in defense in the coming years can be spent in a way that has a strong effect on Bulgarian science and industry. "This Center will have as its main priority to involve all the potential that exists in Bulgaria in order to take part in the processes of modernization of the armed forces," Donchev added.
According to him, the first task of the Center for Defense Innovations will be to organize a competitive procedure for the development and production of drones for the needs of the Bulgarian armed forces within the next few months.