Bulgarian Municipality Day was marked in this country on 12 October, and today, 15 October, the local authorities are holding their 12^th annual meeting.

Ginka Chavdarova, Executive Director of the National Association of Municipalities recently commented for the Bulgarian National Radio that the big problem municipal authorities still face is the high level of indebtedness which is now close to 200 million Leva (100 million euro).

According to National Audit Office data, the expenditures of 56 of the total of 265 municipalities in Bulgaria exceed revenues by 30 percent. Every year the National Association of Municipalities negotiates, with the Ministry of Finance, an increase in additional funding for the municipalities, and insists that a clearer system of distribution of additional funding to local authorities be put in place. Local authorities see financial decentralization as a way to improve the situation, though they are doing their best to increase their own spendings. Analyses show, however, that this notwithstanding, the level of municipal debt remains relatively unchanged.

This year’s 12^th meeting of local authorities will also be discussing the challenges connected with introducing of e-government, easing the administrative burden for the public and for businesses, providing services that are convenient and easy of access and other sustainable municipal development issues.

The central authorities are also sensitive to these problems and periodically discuss them with the local authorities on their own initiative. One such example was the meeting with representatives of the local authorities, state institutions and professional organizations called by PM Boyko Borissov in June this year to discuss measures to reduce the administrative burden and facilitate work with the public. The local authorities are relying on help from the central administration, and have invited the prime minister, cabinet ministers, MPs and foremost experts to their annual meeting. This mutual commitment to these problems is an indication that there does exist a shared desire to tackle them. Yet the fact that the problems are chronic shows that no satisfactory results have, as yet, been achieved.

English version: Milena Daynova