Photo: BSP – Banite.
Sevdalin Hashinov (BSP) is the richest municipal councilor in the small Rhodope municipality of Banite, according to declarations to the Anti-Corruption Commission published in early August.
He is the absolute champion in terms of available funds: 668,000 leva for him and 385,421 leva for his wife Sabka Hashinova – a total of 1,053,421 leva in cash and deposits, with the origin of both funds being from dividends. Hashinov is a master pharmacist and owns a pharmacy in the village of Banite, the sole owner of the capital of “Galant” EOOD. In 2024, the Hashinov family reported over 340,000 leva in income. The largest share of the income comes from dividends – Hashinov received 150,000 leva, and his wife over 83,000.
Hashinov has been a municipal councilor for four terms – since 2011, and in two of them he was the chairman of the Municipal Council (2015–2017 and 2019–2023). His political career began in GERB. In the local election in 2007, he was second on the list of Borisov’s party in Banite, but did not enter the local parliament, as GERB did not win a single mandate in the municipality at that time. In the elections in 2011, Hashinov became a municipal councilor with a local coalition with the participation of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and since then he has been among the influential figures in local government. Local leader of the Socialist Party and member of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party.
The next in terms of income for 2024 is Zdravko Mirchev (DPS), who declared nearly 200 thousand leva (his and his wife’s) for 2024, of which 136,860 leva is a dividend. Mirchev is the sole owner of the capital of Evergreen 80 EOOD.
At the opposite pole is the Chairperson of the Municipal Council Diana Fidanova (GERB), who has not indicated any deposits, available funds, loans and income over 10 thousand leva.
Mayor Pavlin Belchev (GERB) has declared bank funds of 13 thousand leva in his name and 20 thousand leva for his wife, in the “Salaries” section for 2024 he has indicated nearly 60 thousand leva for him and over 45 thousand leva for his wife. Belchev was re-elected as mayor in the first round in October 2023 as a GERB candidate.
Deputy Mayor Ferad Emin has listed houses in Asenovgrad and Banite, two apartments with garages in Kardzhali and two cars – a Jeep Cherokee (2011) for 5,300 leva and a Hyundai from 2024 for 21,000 leva. He has no income outside of his salary for the position he holds and is a mortgage debtor of 60,000 leva. His colleague Zorka Madzharova indicates a bank deposit of 11,766 leva and family income from salaries in 2024 of just over 50,000 leva.
The incomes of the other municipal councilors range from modest to decent.
Pavel Solakov (GERB) is on the modest end of the spectrum – with 18 thousand leva in cash and 17,692 leva in salary income for 2024.
Stoyanka Choneva (DPS) declared 10 thousand leva in cash and 28 thousand leva in her husband’s accounts with the source “dividends and salary”.
Boryana Karamfilova (BSP) acquired an apartment in Plovdiv in 2024 for 150 thousand leva with a bank loan.
Dimitar Donchev (GERB) and Slavey Kyorov (GERB) have a classic salary income profile: respectively 8,290 BGN (basic salary) plus 34,532 BGN other employment income for Donchev, and 8,290 BGN plus 45,987 BGN for Kyorov.
Kircho Topchiev (DPS) has declared 7,148 BGN from basic salary and 26,956 BGN additional employment income, and Atanas Kandurov (GERB) – over 10 thousand BGN deposit and 24 thousand BGN income in 2024.
Veneta Baramova (GERB), who is the director of the DG “Rodopchanche” – village of Banite, has no savings, has a mortgage loan of 26 thousand BGN and income for 2024 of 40 thousand BGN.
