Sofia city council approves 2014 budget
Sofia city council voted on February 6 to approve the 2014 municipal budget for the Bulgarian capital city, with only the councillors from the Bulgarian Socialist Party voting against the budget proposed by centre-right GERB party mayor Yordanka Fandukova.
The budget is 1.465 billion leva, about 250 million leva higher than in 2013, mainly because of a significantly increased capital spending programme.
The capital spending programme is 710 million leva, about 60 per cent higher than in 2013, for projects in the areas of transport, education and health.
Of the budget for capital spending, about 67 per cent comes from European Union funding.
The main priorities in the overall budget are infrastructure, transport, education and environmental conservation.
Of 57 city councillors, 44 voted in favour, 13 BSP councillors against and there were no abstentions.
BSP councillor Nikolai Belalov said that the party could not support the budget, because “we cannot accept its structure and philosophy”. Sofia municipal council chairperson Elen Gerdzhikov said that the BSPs’ objection lacked serious grounds and was motivated by party politics.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
