Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Boris Bonev: Sofia Municipality is to buy street lights at prices that are much higher than the current market price

| updated on 1/30/22 2:00 PM
Boris Bonev
Photo: BGNES-archive

Sofia Municipality is preparing to buy street lights at prices which are between 3 and 77 times higher than the market price, Municipal Councilor Boris Bonev said for bTV. 

An investigation carried out by Save Sofia non-governmental organization has found large discrepancies between the prices of the two companies that won a tender worth EUR 37.3 million. "In the northern part of Sofia, a street lamp will cost EUR 2,943, whereas in the southern part of the city the same lamp will cost EUR 812", said Boris Bonev. "Our team made an experiment - we chose five items from the public procurement and paid a total of EUR 71.45, while Sofia Municipality pays EUR 465.42 for them",  the municipal councilor further said. 

Bulgaria’s Premier Kiril Petkov announced on Facebook that he would order an inspection of the public procurement. “When a street lamp on one side of the street costs EUR 812 and the same street lamp on the other side of the street costs EUR 2,943, then we really need an Anticorruption Commission with investigative function as soon as possible”, Premier Petkov further wrote.

Meanwhile, it became clear that by order of Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, internal auditors at Sofia Municipality will examine the procedures for selecting contractors for repair and construction of street lighting.





Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Summer in the the Rhodope Mountains.

Temperatures will reach a sweltering maximum of 35°C again

On Wednesday, minimum temperatures will range from 16 to 19 °C. The day will be sunny, with cumulus clouds forming over the mountains in the afternoon and occasional brief showers. Maximum temperatures will range from 30 to 35°C . In the capital -..

published on 7/1/25 7:05 PM
Ivan Ivanov

The State Agency for Refugees will be inspected for financial irregularities

The new chairman of the State Agency for Refugees, Ivan Ivanov, has asked the Council of Ministers to conduct an inspection of the agency . The audit should establish whether there were any irregularities in the spending of funds, reporter Daniel..

published on 7/1/25 6:18 PM

Eight new European bison have been settled in the Eastern Rhodopes

A total of eight new European bison (two males and six females) were brought in two stages in June to the area of ​​the village of Zhenda in the Eastern Rhodopes by the Rewilding Rhodopes Foundation, BTA has reported. Satellite transmitter-collars were..

published on 7/1/25 6:06 PM