January 23 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's transport ministry said it has extended the deadline for submitting offers in a tender for granting concession on Sofia International Airport to May 19.
The offers will be opened on May 22, the transport ministry announced on its website last week.
This is the fourth extension of the procedure for awarding a concession contract for the operation of Bulgaria's biggest airport.
On November 18, transport minister Ivaylo Moskovski said that the extension of the deadline will create an opportunity for the next government to decide whether to continue with the concession procedure.
On November 14, Prime minister Boyko Borissov submitted the resignation of his minority coalition government after the candidate of main governing GERB party lost the presidential elections the day before.
President Rumen Radev, who took office on Sunday, is expected soon to appoint a caretaker government, dissolve parliament and call early elections. The vote is likely to take place in late March or early April.
The financial parameters of the concession include mandatory one-off payment of at least 550 million levs ($310.5 million/281.3 million euro), excluding VAT. The concessionaire should also pay an annual fee equal to at least 7% of its net revenue but no less than 9.95 million levs. The concessionaire will also have to invest at least 306.5 million levs in the airport for the entire term of the concession contract.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)