Collage: “For the Truth”.
Over 50 properties in the Silistra region have been included in the indicative list for potential privatization, published on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW). These are state properties managed by various institutions and included in the list following the decision of the Council of Ministers on May 8, approving the Program for Exercising Rights over State-Owned Properties and Properties Owned by State Public Enterprises.
Based on the aggregated data, the program identifies over 4,400 properties as no longer needed. These properties are reported by 16 ministries and 26 regional governors. Of this number, over 880 properties are land plots with buildings on them, while over 1,200 are buildings. Information is also provided about more than 140 independent units within buildings.
The sale of these properties is intended to generate revenue for the budget and relieve public enterprises from the costs of unused properties.
What Properties Are Being Offered
An investigation by “Za Istinata” (For The Truth) shows that under conditions of no longer needed use, some properties in the Silistra region effectively do not exist or are in very poor condition due to the lack of maintenance by the state.
One such property is a 4,330 sq.m. plot owned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food through the “North Central State Enterprise” in Gabrovo. This is a former forestry station. The plot is located on a main street in the town of Alfatar but has not been maintained for years. In the center of the yard there is a building also listed as a separate property.
According to the description, it is a semi-massive, one-story building with an area of 125 square meters. However, the building, which was originally used as housing for the forester, is actually ruined. Its condition can be seen in the photos.
Two other similar properties are also being sold by the “North Central State Enterprise” in the village of Srebarna and the town of Glavinitsa.
Another property included in the list is a residential building owned by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, managed by the State Enterprise “National Railway Infrastructure Company.” As evident from the photos, the residential building once used by railway employees has been abandoned and left to decay. The apartments inside are destroyed.
Also proposed for sale on the list is the neighboring building, which is also abandoned and in a similar condition. Both buildings are located immediately next to the closed railway station of Alfatar, which is also abandoned and deteriorating.
A third building submitted for privatization in the list is located within the yard of the Experimental Apricot Station in Silistra, in the area known as “Medzhidi Tabia.” It is the property of the Agricultural Academy under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. Built in 1965, it is described in the list as a dining hall. The photos show that it is currently partially ruined. The director of the experimental station, which is a structure within the academy, was unaware that the building had been included in the sale list. It is also unclear how the disposal of the building can proceed since it is located within the station’s yard. It cannot be rented out either because it first needs repairs, and the state has not invested any funds in the experimental station for years.
Despite this, some properties may turn out to be attractive. Among the properties listed as no longer needed are the holiday resorts of the public enterprise “Uchenicheski otdikh i sport” EAD.
The company was established by a Council of Ministers decision in 2004. The sole owner of the capital of “Uchenicheski otdikh i sport” EAD is the state. At the time of establishment, it received a total of 165 state holiday resorts located across the country as contributions in kind. Of these, only 26 are operational.
In the Silistra region, “Uchenicheski otdikh i sport” EAD has included in the privatization list its holiday resorts “Pelikan” located in the villages of Aydemir and Malyk Preslavets. These resorts operate at a loss and accumulate debts related to local taxes and fees.
Despite the general state of neglect, some properties could prove attractive. Among those listed as no longer needed are several holiday resorts owned by the public enterprise “Uchenicheski Otdikh i Sport” EAD.
Founded by a Council of Ministers decision in 2004, “Uchenicheski Otdikh i Sport” EAD is wholly owned by the state. At the time of its founding, the company received 165 state-owned holiday resorts across Bulgaria as capital contributions, but only 26 of these remain operational today.
In the Silistra region, the company has proposed for privatization its holiday resorts “Pelikan” located in the villages of Aydemir and Malyk Preslavets. Both resorts are running at a loss and have accumulated debts related to local taxes and fees.
One of them is located in the western industrial zone of Silistra. The plot measures 16 decares (approximately 16,000 square meters) and contains 7 buildings. The buildings are described in the indicative list as 2 massive and four makeshift constructions. The site formerly housed the District Special Needs School “Sava Dobroplodni,” which existed from 1963 to 1997.
Although the buildings are described as makeshift and expected to be dilapidated, on-site inspection reveals that most of the buildings on the property are solidly built and preserved, albeit visibly neglected, along with the entire plot.
What makes the situation unique is that the abandoned property is now located in the center of the parcels recently acquired by the Municipality of Silistra from the local agricultural high school “Dobrudzha,” for the purpose of building an industrial park. The Municipal Council also decided to change the land use designation from agricultural to industrial to increase the value of the acquired parcels, which will be contributed to the future municipal company “Industrial Park.”
Thus, the property of the “Pelikan” holiday base in the industrial zone could become an attractive and priority asset for sale through upcoming state auctions and may be acquired by a private investor, while being surrounded by industrial park properties, which are municipal assets.
There is another option allowed by law. Upon a request by the Municipality of Silistra under Article 54 of the State Property Act, the property can be transferred free of charge for use by the municipality.
Gratuitous transfer of ownership of property classified as private state property to municipalities for the execution of their functions or to permanently satisfy public needs of local significance—while complying with legislation and state aid rules—is carried out by a decision of the Council of Ministers upon the proposal of the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.
Requests for gratuitous transfer are submitted through the regional governor, who provides a reasoned opinion. In this way, the parcel may be incorporated as part of the future municipal industrial park.
Another base of “Uchenicheski Otdikh i Sport” EAD—a large unfinished building offered on the main street in Aydemir—is again classified as dilapidated and abandoned, which, naturally, sets the stage for it to be sold at a very low price.
The Silistra list also includes departmental properties of the Ministry of Interior (MVR)—parts of buildings and individual buildings. In the village of Bogorovo, the entire border post is listed for sale, including buildings, garages, and adjacent land, while the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Silistra offers a departmental apartment of 110 square meters on a central street.
