The government will give the regional development ministry another €250m this year for council projects under the Investment Programme, the Council of Ministers said.
It is the second payment of the year. The ministry got the first €150m under Council of Ministers Decree No. 107 of 19 August 2026, to pay eligible costs of the projects.
Under the ministry's 2026 budget, up to €600m in total can be paid out under the programme, in parts and as projects are ready.
The new money comes from capital spending in the central budget for 2026. It is released under Article 109, paragraph 3 of the Public Finance Act. It covers the projects listed in Annex No. 3 to Article 113 of the 2025 State Budget Act, which were set for funding in 2026.
The press office says the aim is better planning and spending of central budget money, and more efficiency and openness in how the programme runs. Councils will get the money on time during the year if they are ready to start work at once and meet the rules of Article 113 of the 2026 State Budget Act.
The cabinet says the programme fits the Bulgarian Government Programme for 2026–2030. It says it will improve infrastructure in the regions and public works in towns and villages.
About €100m has been paid out so far, regional development minister Ivan Shishkov said in Varna last week. He said every euro must be planned and go to the most urgent needs of the regions, such as water and sewage networks, roads or urban planning. The money should not just be "handed out", the minister said.
Shishkov denied that payments to councils are late and said it is a technical process. He also said there is no split into "black and white mayors", that the system works non-stop, that the money is for citizens and that all payments will be made.
The average transfer to a council is between €1.5m and €2m. The minister said this means dozens or hundreds of files to review and process.