New priorities for road safety
Minister of Interior Ivan Demerdzhiev is introducing strict control over the expenditure of funds from the "Road Safety" fund. From now on, all expenses must be directly aimed at improving the situation on the roads and reducing road accident injuries.
"The priority is reducing the number of fatalities and casualties in accidents," state the Ministry of Interior's press office.
Critical audit by the National Audit Office
The decision comes after revelations by the National Audit Office, which indicate that:
- Bulgaria remains among the countries with the highest number of road fatalities.
- Over half a billion levs in the specialized fund remain unspent due to administrative shortcomings.
- Safety measures to date have been assessed as "insufficient and inadequate."
The auditors' inspection covers the period from 2021 to mid-2022 and focuses on the efficiency of the management of funds by the Ministry of Interior.