February 4 (BTA) - A reform at the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) is starting at this point, with Holding BDZ, BDZ Freight Services and BDZ Passenger Services merging into a newly established corporation called BDZ National Company, Transport and Communications Minister Nikolay Sabev told journalists in Parliament on Friday.

"As from the beginning of 2024 we are planning to stop asking the State to pay use for performing the public transport contract, and we will exit Europe's capital markets," Sabev pointed out. He described BDZ current financial position as "critical".

The Transport Minister presented the new five-member BDZ Board of Directors: Simeon Evtimov (Chair), Yordan Mirchev, Kiril Grigorov, Lyubomir Syarov and Petko Petkov. "Each one of them is a very competent expert in railway matters," Sabev said. Together with the team of deputy ministers, the new Board will launch the reform in the railway sector.

"As a new Board of Directors, we undertake to manage the State's capital to the benefit of the public and to turn BDZ into a genuine national company, so that rail transport could become the preferred mode in Bulgaria," Evtimov said. "The idea is to help citizens enjoy the freedom of movement, to give business access to the markets, and to make sure that the public can rely on the security of railways."

On Thursday, Sabev told the National Assembly Transport Committee that the Government's transport policy prioritizes the development of rail transport and that the 2022 draft budget allocates 100 million leva for this purpose.