Regional Health Inspectorate in Sofia Has Fined Mayor Vasil Terziev Over the Ongoing Waste Collection Crisis in the Capital

The Regional Health Inspectorate (RHI) in Sofia has drawn up an administrative violation report against the Mayor of Sofia, Vasil Terziev, over the city’s waste collection crisis. This was announced by outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadzhov during today’s parliamentary question time - January 16.

According to Karadzhov, since October the RHI has received more than 30 complaints from citizens. The inspectorate had sent letters to Sofia Municipality concerning zones 1, 3, 4 and 7, warning that the suspension of household waste collection would worsen hygiene conditions and pose a risk to public health.

He said the RHI had issued four mandatory instructions in line with those letters, requiring the municipality to remedy the violations.

“They were not complied with, and districts such as Ilinden, Krasno Selo, Lyulin, Poduyane, Serdika, Triaditsa and others were left without waste collection,” Karadjov stated.

He added that the deadline for implementing the second of these instructions expires on 20 January.

The issue was also addressed from the parliamentary rostrum by outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation Tomislav Donchev. He stressed that waste collection falls within the responsibilities of local authorities, for which residents pay a waste management fee.

“In my view, the good model is that, even if public-private partnerships are used, every municipality should have its own municipal company or enterprise – strong, well institutionalised and properly equipped – that can not only respond in crisis situations but also ensure it cannot be subjected to pressure or blackmail,” Donchev said.