RSI: The Road Safety Fund is being used for other purposes

2024-10-22/20:00:16/News In English/iskra.bg

An audit by the Road Safety Institute ( RSI ) shows that from the establishment of the Road Safety Fund (RSF) in 2011 until October 2024, over BGN 591 million have been collected (from speeding fines). Approximately BGN 122 million have been spent, with more than BGN 60 million spent in just the last two years (2023-2024), which is half of all expenditures during the 14-year existence of the fund, the institute claimed in a Facebook post.

It is noteworthy that around BGN 30 million has been spent on the purchase of vehicles. At the same time, it turns out that all the purchased cars do not have CASCO insurance . The vehicles bought with funds from the Road Safety Fund create opportunities for misuse, as data from the RSI indicates that most of them are not used for traffic control . According to the RSI, the data on the funds spent shows the following:

  • In the account of the Road Safety Fund (RSF), more than BGN 465 million are available.
  • The main expenditure of funds has been made in the last two years.
  • The Road Safety Fund (RSF) is not being used for its intended purpose.
  • The available funds in the Road Safety Fund (RSF) are being improperly used to fill the budget.

The Road Safety Institute is calling on the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Finance, which, under Article 157, paragraph 5 of the Public Finance Act , takes and manages the surpluses from the Fund in the „ single account, “ to cease the harmful practice of using the Road Safety Fund (RSF) for other purposes.

„ We thirst for water. “

„ Citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria are justifiably indignant and do not pay their fines because they do not see the results that have been promised to them. The sole collection of funds from fines into a fund, without a clear vision for their use and active efforts towards improving road safety and preserving the lives of citizens, is a clear indication of incompetence or something else. The money spent from the fund so far has been minimal and only on procuring equipment to collect more money, “, the RSI further commented, adding:

„ The management of the Road Safety Fund resembles the management of a commercial company that spends as little as possible to achieve a surplus at the end of the year, which can be used by its owner – the Minister of Finance. Setting traps on the roads of Bulgaria has become state policy aimed at collecting money from Bulgarian citizens to support budget shortfalls. We demand that this state extortion be immediately halted! “

Saving TPP Maritsa East 2 with BGN 2.6 billion: does the coal plant have a future?

Източник: iskra.bg