Bulgaria's Environment Ministry Files BGN 180 000 Lawsuit against Concessionaire of Bansko Ski Zone

Bulgaria's Environment Ministry has initiated a lawsuit against Yulen AD, the concessionaire of the Bansko ski zone, and is seeking BGN 178 482 in unpaid sums from the company.

The Environment Ministry is seeking unpaid sums amounting to 5% of the annual concession fee.

The payments had to go to a unit of the Environment Ministry, the National Environment Protection Fund, which was subsequently converted into Bulgarian Enterprise for Management of Environmental Protection Activities (EMEPA), according to reports of mediapool.bg.

The Environment Ministry insists that the payments amounting to 5% of the annual concession fee were included in the contract signed in 2001between Yulen AD and the state.

According to calculations of the Environment Ministry, Yulen AD had to pay a total of BGN 88 734 for this in the period 2005-2011 but it failed to do it.

The sum grows to nearly BGN 180 000 after the addition of penalty payments, interest, and VAT.

The payments had to be made annually by May 15 of the respective year.

The application initiating the proceedings, signed by the Environment Minister and the Executive Director of the EMEPA, was lodged with the Sofia City Court on April 6.

Yulen AD argues that the company owes nothing to the state and the 5% in question are included in the annual concession fee stipulated in the contract.

According to the lawyer representing the company, Petar Petrov, as cited by dnevnik.bg, the 5% payment is part of the concession fee paid by Yulen to the Ministry and the Ministry had to transfer the sum to its unit.

An interinstitutional working group established in January by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov found that the 5% installments were an additional payment to the concession...