Absorption rate of approximately 93 per cent reported at 30 November 2003 under the 2001 Financial Memorandum on PHARE–Cross-border Cooperation and PHARE–Economic and Social Cohesion

Absorption rate of approximately 93 per cent was reported at 30 November 2003 under the 2001 Financial Memorandum on PHARE–Cross-border Cooperation and PHARE–Economic and Social Cohesion, Minister Valentin Tserovski told journalists at the press conference on the conclusion of the tendering procedures under the Memorandum. A total of 387 contracts have been signed to-date, emphasised the Minister. The Ministry’s PHARE Implementing Agency is responsible for 20 projects and 10 subprojects in the Programme framework, i.e., Cross-border Cooperation and Economic and Social Cohesion under the 2001 Financial Memorandum, of which: 7 grant schemes covering 357 individual contracts; 12 supplies contracts; 10 works contracts; and 8 services contracts. The Minister reported PHARE absorption rates of 37 per cent at January 2003, 42 per cent at October 2003 and 87 per cent at 30 November 2003, of which contract cost savings amounted to some 6 per cent, adding up to a total of 93 per cent absorbed under the Programme. Thanks to the good level of coordination among the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, the delay in the implementation of the Social Integration and of the Labour Market Initiatives Project was overcome and contracts have been concluded, Roumen Simeonov, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy, told journalists. I wish to emphasise the great significance of these projects, said Deputy Minister of the Economy Evgenia Koldanova: the grant schemes are the first of their kind, targeting small and medium-sized enterprises. Mrs. Koldanova expressed her hope that the grant beneficiaries would successfully implement the projects. On behalf of the Ministry of Finance and on Minister Velchev’s behalf, I would like to congratulate the entire team of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, and Minister Tserovski in particular for this great success, stated Boryana Pencheva, Director of EU Funds management at the Ministry of Finance. The following number of contracts have been concluded under each of the grant schemes: • Technological Grant Scheme targeting SMEs: 90 contracts • Hi-tech Business Incubators: 49 contracts • Promotion of Cultural Tourism in Bulgaria: 19 contracts • Labour Market Initiatives: 86 contracts • Social Integration: 86 contracts • Small Bulgaria-Romania Funds: 12 contracts • Small Bulgaria-Greece Funds: 15 contracts A total of 12 supplies contracts have been signed, reported Tsvetomira Lacheva, Director of the Ministry’s PHARE Implementing Agency. Of these, four contracts are for the supply of school equipment under the Labour Market Initiatives Project; five contracts are for the supply of equipment to the southern border checkpoints (Koulata, Novo Selo, Ilinden); one contract is for the supply of optical cable equipment under the Bulgarian-Greek Energy Systems Improvement Project; and two contracts are for the supply of monitoring equipment under the Integrated Monitoring Project of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast between Dourankoulak and Rezovo. A total of 10 works contracts have been signed, of which: • Four contracts under the Tourist Access Roads Project • Five contracts for the refurbishment of vocational training establishments under the Labour Market Initiative Project • One contract for the construction of three urban treatment plants: Madan, Roudozem, and Zlatograd A total of eight services contracts have been signed, of which: • Three construction supervision contracts, one each under the Tourist Access Roads Project, the Labour Market Initiatives Project and for the urban treatment plants at Madan, Roudozem, and Zlatograd • Two management contracts, one each under the Technological Grant Scheme and the Hi-tech Business Incubators Scheme • Two technical assistance contracts, one each under the Small Bulgaria-Romania Funds and the Small Bulgaria-Greece Funds • One monitoring contract under the Programme for the Elimination of the Consequences of Uranium Mining [Caption] Minister Valentin Tserovski, Director of the PHARE Implementing Agency Tsvetomira Lacheva and Director of PHARE–Economic and Social Cohesion Hristo Medarov (left) at the press conference on the conclusion of the tendering procedures under the 2001 Financial Memorandum Public Relations and International Cooperation Directorate