Reports on the announcement of contests for new managers of 6 municipal companies were submitted by municipal councilors from “Continuing the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (PP-DB)/”Save Sofia”. The proposal is for the replacement of the boards of municipal companies, the management of which currently has an expired mandate. The list includes “Toplofikatsia Sofia”, “Metropolitan”, “Metropolitan Autotransport”, “Metropolitan Electric Transport”, “Center for Urban Mobility” (CGM) and “Sofinvest”.
The intention to activate the procedure for the election of new boards of these regional companies was announced two weeks ago, after the director of “Toplofikatsia Sofia” Alexander Alexandrov resigned. This happened after advisers from the PP-DB/”Save Sofia” announced that the companies of the woman with whom he lives actually fulfilled orders for the capital’s heating system. At the moment, the executive director of “Toplofikatsia Sofia” is Vasil Kovachev, who was previously on the board of the company. He was elected by the supervisory board of “Toplofikatsia Sofia”. The councilors from PP-DB/”Save Sofia” warned in absentia the supervision of the heating plant not to undertake any other changes in the operational management of the company, as rumors have been heard.
In a new way
The request is that the new competitions for the boards of municipal companies will be conducted in a more transparent manner and will aim to attract professionals, and not a pro forma selection of predetermined bosses. “All candidates’ business programs will be published and their oral interviews will be publicly broadcast, so that every citizen can get to know the candidates’ vision, listen to their answers to the questions put to them and know on what basis the evaluations are made by the selection committee”explained the deputy chairman of the municipal council Boyko Dimitrov.
In his words “for the first time, the methodology by which the candidates will be evaluated is very clearly laid out”as they were created “additional conditions for maximum competitiveness between individual applicants”. The application period will be a minimum of 30 days, not 14 as has been practiced so far. “This implies more thorough training and more candidates”added Dimitrov.
The chairman of the group, Boris Bonev, commented that the municipal companies manage an economy of nearly BGN 3 billion, and the mandates of the current management have long since expired. “Their work is relevant to the daily lives of each one of us – from getting us on the tram to using hot water. The way their guides have been selected over the years so far has been anything but transparent. The focus in selection rather than on the most -the good ones, it was only on “our people”said Bonev.
Transport problems
His colleague Simeon Stavrev explained that the change of management of the transport companies is important because BGN 500 million from the budget of Sofia pass through them. In addition, there was a danger from September that “Stolichen autotransport” would not be able to fulfill the timetables of the lines it serves. The main reason was the lack of drivers. At the same time, the possible new managements of the companies will have to announce the public procurement for the supply of new trolleys, trams and buses according to the municipality’s plan for 1 billion BGN investments in transport. It was passed by the city council on Thursday with the support of all groups.
Starting next week, the councilors from PP-DB/”Save Sofia” will start talks with the other political groups in the municipal council about accepting the proposals of the largest group in the council.
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