Renovation of buildings under the energy efficiency programme will impact the property tax, which will see a very slight decrease, the press centre of the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works said in a comment on public speculations on tax breaks on residential buildings renovated under the National Energy Efficiency Programme.
The ministry stated the decrease could not be measured against the benefits, produced effect, and expenditure cuts resulting from measures, Focus Information Agency reported. Minister of energy Temenuzhka Petkova handed contracts to 32 municipalities and nine small and medium-sized enterprises under the BGN 04 Emergency Efficiency and Renewable Energy Operational Programme, Ministry of Energy’s press centre said. Minister Petkova clarified the programme is funded under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area with the support of Norway.
Sofia Municipality will receive grants under two energy efficiency contracts for the renovation of 14 buildings, totalling around BGN 1.5 million (EUR 7.67 million), the city’s mayor Yordanka Fandakova said.
In late August, Tsetska Tsacheva, chairperson of Bulgaria’s National Assembly, attended the signing of the first contracts under a public procurement for preparation of technical research, technical passports and research on the energy efficiency of multi-family residential buildings in the city of Pleven, the parliament’s press centre said. Eight blocks of flats will be renovated. The activities amount to EUR 273,500 excluding value-added tax. Numerous associations of tenants have registered since the start of the programme and 28 have signed contracts with Pleven municipality.
Earlier, the Ministry of Energy signed contracts with 32 municipalities for raising energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources for heating energy in municipal and state-owned buildings. The contracts totalled EUR 10.440 million. The projects are funded under the BG04 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the so-called Norwegian programme. Grant assistance is between EUR 170,000 and EUR 500,000 and the municipalities and the state are its beneficiaries. A total of 58 projects applied under the grant scheme, and 57 were adopted, Focus reported.
