Sofia, Bulgaria — Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev has issued an urgent warning over a potentially serious crisis that could hit Bulgaria’s capital unless stalled public procurement procedures for waste management are approved in time.
In a post published on Facebook, Terziev expressed alarm that delays by the Ministry of Finance in greenlighting critical contracts may lead to entire neighborhoods becoming overwhelmed with garbage.
According to the mayor, seven key contracts covering garbage collection and street cleaning in 20 out of Sofia’s 24 districts are set to expire this year.
These agreements account for nearly half a billion leva and are critical to ensuring the cleanliness and hygiene of the city. Without timely replacement contracts, residents could face mounting piles of uncollected waste.
“This is not an exaggeration,” Terziev wrote. “We are looking at a potential disaster that could dwarf the recent transport disruptions if this issue is not addressed immediately.”
Terziev stressed that the municipality has done its part. “All documentation has been prepared and submitted,” he said. “But for over six weeks now, we have been waiting for approval from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Procurement Agency. This is a legal requirement before we can initiate new tenders.”
The legal deadline for the inspection process was April 9, yet the Ministry has not completed its review.
The mayor revealed that he has already sent two formal letters to Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova and dispatched a third letter today, urging swift action. He has now given the Ministry a three-day ultimatum to approve the documents or face further scrutiny.
“If there is no response, I will refer the matter to the Court of Auditors and the National Assembly,” Terziev warned. “This cannot be allowed to drag on any longer.”
In his strongly worded message, the mayor also criticized the current state of the waste management sector in Sofia, which he claims has been dominated by overpriced contracts, poor service delivery, and systems that benefit companies rather than the public.
He accused certain political and business interests of deliberately obstructing reforms to maintain the status quo.
“These contracts have long been a source of inefficiency and waste,” Terziev said. “Weak sanctions, poor oversight, and preferential terms for companies have hurt the city and its residents.”
He vowed that the municipality under his leadership will not allow these patterns to persist, promising more transparency, accountability, and better value for taxpayers.
Terziev concluded by appealing directly to Sofia’s citizens and the national government: “The people of Sofia deserve a clean, well-managed city. We are ready to act, but we need the Ministry of Finance to do its job. Stop the delays and let us move forward.”
The mayor’s statement has added pressure on the Finance Ministry, which has yet to comment publicly on the delay. With the clock ticking on the expiring contracts, all eyes are now on Minister Petkova and her department to break the deadlock before the city is plunged into a waste management crisis.