17/11/2023 National Assembly Vice President Rositsa Kirova participated in a round table on: “Public-Private Partnerships in Bulgaria'

17/11/2023

National Assembly Vice President Rositsa Kirova participated in a round table on: "Public-Private Partnerships in Bulgaria".

In her statement, Rositsa Kirova stressed that there is a chronic underfunding of infrastructure, which unfortunately leads to economic inequality between different regions and this particularly affects Northwest Bulgaria. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are a tool that can help countries attract investment to implement major projects in sectors of strategic importance to society, Rositsa Kirova noted.

The implementation of successful PPP projects requires significant administrative capacity and clear legislation, the Vice President of Parliament said. We need a law on public-private partnership and discussions on it could begin as early as this year, Rositsa Kirova said. A stable legal and institutional framework will be one of the main drivers for the success of our future PPP programmes, she added.

Public-private partnerships may be the only way to support the development and the economy of the lagging regions, the Vice President of Parliament noted. In the words of Rositsa Kirova, ensuring transport connectivity will enable sustainable regional development and give a breathing space to local authorities. For many local projects in the fields of health, social services and education, PPP is an option that should be seriously considered, she said.

A strategic view of the new processes is needed to enable state entities and private investors to join forces in defence of their own interest but also the public interest, Rositsa Kirova concluded.

The round table was attended by the Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev, the Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov, the founder and president of the Delphi Economic Forum Symeon Tsomokos, diplomats, business representatives and local authorities.