EU Funds Minister Says Emergency Bridge Repairs Should be Financed with Loans
Minister in charge of EU funds absorption Tomislav Donchev said the emergency repairs of bridges across the country following a recent series of earthquakes should be financed with credits from international banks.
The state budget and the European funds are not the only source that could be tapped for repairs and financing could be secured from loans extended by the World Bank or the European Investment Bank at attractive interest rates, Donchev said in an interview for the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) on Monday.
The most serious repairs that need to be carried out are estimated at 200 million levs ($127.2 million/102.3 million euro), Donchev added.
Late last month, the government announced it will allocate 85 million levs for the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities. Of these, 43 million levs will go for the reconstruction of three viaduct sectionst of the Hemus and Trakia highways.