11.01.2013

\"According to the plan, the approach road, a 3.4 km section of Maritsa motorway, will reach Kapitan Andreevo border check-point by end-June 2013. This is what Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov said during his inspection of the works of both facilities. They are part of the Second Trade and Transport Facilitation Project (TTFSE II) funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and co-financed by the state budget. Mr. Djankov added that the entire project had to be finalized by end-2013 but \"the aim is to finish the motorway before the summer season, while anything else that the border officers and the border check-point will need to be constructed in the remaining time\". The Finance Minister commented that the works continued everywhere and that 300 m before the border check-point there was an archaeological site to be explored. The contract thereto will be signed by the end of next week, while the expert works will take about 2 months, said Minister Djankov.

As to the fake diplomas of custom-house officers working at the Svilengrad customs, Minister Djankov said that \"the problem does not refer to Svilengrad only\". Inspections are underway, with more than 250 officers already outside the system. Minister Djankov said that there were cases where officers of the National Customs Agency gained their MA degree before gaining the BA degree, others had graduated from universities in countries like Qatar, while others studied in Ukraine and Moldova, which was too suspicious.

Asked whether there would be after-Christmas bonuses, the Finance Minister answered that he would continue observing strictly the State Budget Law.