Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev: The State Delays Payments for Infrastructure Projects

“When we talk about people’s lives, there is no place for political games. The state’s approach to the country’s largest municipality reflects its attitude towards one fifth of Bulgaria’s population – the citizens of Sofia,” Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev wrote in a Facebook post on October 1.

Today, it is the residents of the capital who are bearing the consequences of delayed state payments. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works continues to postpone funds under the municipal financing programme. This has blocked payments for key infrastructure projects – the renovation of Alexander Stamboliyski Boulevard, the Bakery Factory Bridge, which is already open to traffic, and Opalchenska Street, which has been completed. To date in 2025, not a single lev has been disbursed for any of these projects.

As a result, important infrastructure works cannot be paid for, and critical city assets – streets, boulevards, kindergartens – remain at risk due to delayed funds that Sofia rightfully deserves. By comparison, other municipalities have already received hundreds of millions under the same programme. According to the Ministry’s reports as of 31 August 2025, BGN 435 million has been paid for 720 projects across 214 municipalities, Terziev noted.

“As mayor, I cannot allow political games and hypocrisy to halt the city’s development. I will insist that the funds due to the people of Sofia be fully disbursed. Every street, every bridge, every kindergarten is not just a construction project – they are part of our fight to ensure a better quality of life for every citizen of Sofia,” the mayor added.