January 30 (BTA) - Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova will order checks into a report by Sofia Municipal Councillor Boris Bonev, who told bTV on Sunday that the local government is preparing to pay for street lighting equipment at prices which are between three and 77 times the market levels. Bonev's organization, Save Sofia, has investigated a public procurement procedure for 73 million leva in contracts for street lighting systems in the capital.

For the purposes of the project, Sofia has been divided into four parts, and each of the two selected contractors will handle two parts, Bonev explained. "We are talking here about the same lamps, not different lamps. In the north of Sofia a lamp will cost 5,755 leva, and in the south it will cost 1,587 leva," the Councillor said. He added that this illogical price difference applies even to the two sides of the street separating the President's Administration from the Council of Ministers offices.

Prime Minister Kiril Petkov wrote on Facebook that he will order checks into Bonev's report on Monday. "We really need a counter-corruption commission with investigative functions. The sooner, the better!" Petkov commented.

Deputy Mayor Kristian Krastev said, however, that everything about the project is OK. He argued that the two companies will actually get the same price for their job, because the contract price consists of two elements: one for construction and overhaul, and one for maintenance. One of the elements is bigger with one of the contractors and the other element is bigger with the other contractor. VE

Source: Sofia