SANS Chairman Plamen Tonchev has proposed a large-scale reform that includes reducing the number of regional directorates from 27 to 5 and drastically cutting administrative staff. The restructuring plans were presented to members of parliament, with the main goal being the optimization of the agency, which has not undergone significant changes since its establishment in 2008.
According to Tonchev, one of the key aspects is a change in personnel policy. The head of the agency pointed out the problem of excessive administrative staff: "It is a matter of eliminating a large number of management roles. Currently, we have identified about 30% of employees in management positions who, in practice, have no one to manage."
As part of this process, the optimization of support staff is planned, with positions for drivers, clerks, and housekeepers being eliminated in smaller offices. Regarding the agency's territorial presence, Tonchev clarified: "Every regional center will still have a structure of the agency, but it will be composed only to ensure the daily operational needs and tasks of the agency. Clerks, drivers, housekeepers—those positions will be removed. They will only remain in the 5 large centers that are to be established." At the same time, resources will be redirected toward expanding capacity in other units:
- Additional experts are to be appointed to the counterintelligence and "Cybersecurity" directorates.
In addition to the structural reforms, the SANS Chairman answered parliamentary questions concerning suspicions of money laundering by Ukrainian refugees via state aid from Bulgaria. Regarding the "Baba Alino" case, the materials have already been handed over to the Prosecutor's Office in Varna. Regarding the investigations into financial abuses, Tonchev stated: "The agency is working to establish facts not only in the Varna case. We have other regions of the country where we are working actively. I do not believe these funds come from the aid we provide to Ukrainian citizens."