The transport sector is vital to our economy, and the objective of all measures is to provide tangible relief to businesses and ensure resilience during a period of uncertainty. This was stated by the Minister of Economy and Industry, Irina Shtonova, during a briefing at the Ministry of Transport and Communications on measures to support road transport operators. The briefing was also attended by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Korman Ismailov, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Stoyan Mihaylov, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency, and others.
Minister Shtonova presented projects developed in recent days by the Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency (BAEZ), which provide facilitated access to financing and reduce the administrative burden on businesses. Under one of the new measures introduced by the Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency, companies in the road transport sector will be able to defer their leasing obligations until the end of 2026. “According to data from the Bulgarian National Bank, the total volume of leasing transactions for heavy and light commercial vehicles amounts to approximately 750 million euro. If all eligible companies choose to take advantage of the deferred payment option, instalments due by the end of the year could release up to around 100 million euro in liquidity for the business sector,” stated Irina Shtonova. She noted that this would free up liquid resources to cover other expenses during a period of uncertainty, including wages, while only interest would be payable during the deferral period. “In this way, leasing costs will be significantly reduced – to approximately 5–10% of the instalments due,” she explained.
The Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency is also launching two additional programmes in support of the road transport sector, targeting export activity and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These will enable the insurance of working capital loans, with the state assuming part of the risk in international transactions. In parallel, opportunities will be provided for bank financing to SMEs, supported by state guarantees that reduce the required co-financing from the standard 30% to approximately 15%. This will allow a greater number of companies to access the working capital they need.
Minister Shtonova also outlined measures undertaken by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works. A notification has been submitted to the European Commission for state aid amounting to 50 million euro. Following approval, the funds will be distributed based on the toll charges paid by companies over the past year. In addition, the planned increase in toll charges, which was due to take effect on 1 April, has been postponed.