The Municipality of Vratza	The Municipality of Biala Slatina	The Municipality of  Roman
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY UNTIL 2006	REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY	REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
		OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENTS
Address	Address	Address

The municipality of Vratza was established by a Decree on 05/12/1978. It is a successor of the old town municipality from the time of the Renaissance. It has an area of 679 sq.km. The municipality borders on the municipalities of Mezdra, Borovan, Krivodol, Varshetz and Montana. Population: 85 853 inhabitants (as on 01/03/2001). Its territory includes 21 villages: Banitza, Beli Izvor, Gorno Peshtene, Nefela, Vesletz, Virovsko, Vlassatitza, Goliamo Peshtene, Devene, Zgorigrad, Kostalevo, Liliache, Liutadjik, Malo Peshtene, Mramoren, Ohoden, Pavolche, Tishevitza, Tri Kladenzi, Chelopek, Chiren and the quarters Bistretz and Kulata. Municipal and district centre: Vratza, with 69 423 inhabitants. The industrial development of the municipality is represented by the chemical industry ("Chimco" JSC), cement production ("Beloizvorski Ziment" JSC), machine-building ("Zentromet" JSC, ZMM Co., OMK Co.), textile industry ("Vratitza" JSC, "Atlaz-91" JSC), dressmaking industry ("Vratza-stil" JSC, "CTI"), food industry. Cultivated land: 374 000 decares. Places and items of interest: "Vratzata" ("The gate") gorge, "Ledenika" cave, the place of Christo Botev's death in the "Yolkovitza" area and the Okolchitza Peak, the Thracian treasure from the Moguilan mound and the Rogozen treasure.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY UNTIL 2006

The slow pace of the ongoing reforms in Bulgaria and the necessity to provide employment for the active population and to reduce the social cost of the transition period pose the question of increasing the municipality's role in resolving the social and economic problems. In this context a Strategy for development of the Vratza municipality until 2006 has been elaborated. Its main priorities are connected with an improved development of the technical infrastructure. The aim is to stabilize the settlements on the territory of the municipality and to resolve to an optimum degree the problems of every individual. The implementation of the strategy depends on the municipality's contacts with the centre - the government, the ministries and the agencies, as well as with other municipalities and European towns, with which Vratza has friendly relations. The main objective is to further develop the municipality of Vratza as an overall social organism on the basis of the market economy, which ensures an increase in the employment and income of the households and the companies. The Strategy sets out the basic guidelines in the economic, social and spiritual development, which are related to a highly technological production, secured market and competitiveness. Provision is made for a 35% increase in the industrial production, compared to 1998; achievement of good financial and economic results in the private business; meeting the demand for products and services. The total expected growth is 50%. Importance is given to the development of efficient agricultural production and a competitive food-processing sector by ensuring a favorable economic environment for the activities of the agricultural cooperatives and farms (of  self-employed or family owners).
The strategic objective in the social sphere is to stop the impoverishment of the population, to increase the income and to set the beginning of an improvement in the quality of life. The action programmes are aimed at the further development of culture and education, sport and tourism, improvement of the ecological environment on the territory of the municipality. The major part of the projects, included in the Programme, are to be executed using foreign financial sources - through the EU pre-accession funds, the programmes of PHARE, SAPARD and ISPA, as well as from Bulgarian banks managing credit lines in support of small- and medium-sized enterprises. Support is also expected from other international programmes and institutions providing grants for  financial and technical assistance for some projects, such as the USAID, the governments of Japan, Germany and Holland, with which the beginning of cooperation in the social and environmental sphere has been set.

ADDRESS

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The regional development strategy has been developed in accordance with the existing industrial and agricultural conditions and potential of the municipality. Emphasis is laid on the small- and medium-sized enterprises, mainly in the light and food industries. An example is the Biala Slatina factory for ladies' finished clothing, which is a branch of the Sofia company "Union Level" Ltd, and the workshop for production of ladies' finished clothing opened up in the Popitza village, which is affiliated to "Rila Style" Ltd.
On the territory of the municipality there are already 6 dressmaking workshops of this kind, providing employment mainly to women.
The opening of new jobs is foreseen also in the business projects of the major local enterprises, together with the extension of their markets and production.
The emphasis in agriculture is laid on the formation of cooperative stock breeding farms, such as the cattle-breeding farm in Sokolare, the pig-breeding farms in Vraniak, Tarnava and Altimir, the poultry-breeding farm in Sokolare, the formation of modern family-type farms. For the development of stock breeding, 1 153 decares are allocated for pastures from the municipal land fund. Milk-collecting stations, meeting the requirements of the European standards, are planned to be set up in 5 villages. Projects for setting up medium-sized dairies in Vraniak, Tarnava, Tarnak, Popitza, Sokolare and Altimir, have been prepared. Milk processing on a bigger scale will be concentrated in Biala Slatina, using the existing facilities of "Mlechna Promishlenost" ("Dairy Industry"). Conditions exist also for the development of silkworm breeding, which has always been a source of additional income for the people from Biala Slatina region but has lately been abandoned. Up to 30 tons of cocoons are foreseen to be produced in the restored centre for acceptance and primary processing of cocoons from sericulturists in the municipality. Opportunities for new jobs are sought also in infra-structural projects which will promote the development of the Biala Slatina municipality as a contemporary functioning administrative formation.
 

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The municipality's regional development strategy is based on the appropriate environmentally clean and favorable climatic conditions for mountain cattle-breeding and fruit-growing, small- and medium-size enterprises of the food, textile and dressmaking industries, wood-cutting and wood-processing, development of tourism and improvement of the infrastructure. They can provide occupation to a large number of the unemployed population in this municipality.
Approval has been given to 17 projects in the field of industry, tourism, agriculture and the infrastructure, involving/with 500 job positions - which are expected to create 500 new jobs. The projects' financing will use funds from international organizations and the PHARE, SAPARD and ISPA programmes.

By the end of 2002 it is planned to build 3 small Hydroelectric Power Stations on the "Middle/Sreden Iskar" cascade, which will provide nearly 60 new jobs: the 2500 KW "Kounino" HPS with 20 million KWh annual electric power output, the 1500 KW "Radovene" HPS with 12 million KWh annual power output and the 4000 KW "Roman" HPS with 25 million KWh annual power output. More than 30 million Lev will be invested in the construction of the 3 HPS. At the beginning of April 2001, a memorandum was signed between the municipality council and the Vratza district administration on one hand, and the Czech company "Hydropol" and the Bulgarian company "Helpik" on the other hand, for construction, within 2 years, of the "Roman" HPS, at the amount of 12 million Lev.
For realization of these projects and for better management of the real-estate property, the municipal council decided to set up the trade company "Roman Invest" Ltd, with sole equity-holder the municipality of Roman, which was done at the beginning of 2001.
Among the other pending projects are: the town gasification - with estimated cost of execution 4 million Lev; building a sewage system in Roman and the adjacent villages - 5 million Lev, to be completed by 2002; construction of a covered municipal trade market - to be completed by the end of 2001; auxiliary water-supply and replacement of the water-supply piping in Roman, Radovene, Stoyanovtzi, Karash, Houbavene - to be completed by the end of 2003; rehabilitation and asphalting of the main street in Roman; construction of the road Kounino-Roman, the road along the Malak Iskar river from Svode village through Sredni Rat, Karash and Houbavene to Roman - 4,5 million Lev, and the road from Kameno Pole through Dolna Beshovitza to Stroupetz - to be completed by 2005.
The municipality relies specially on the development of TOURISM with the help of the PLEDGE international programme and the "Iskar Oasis" association. The ecologically clean nature and the beautiful landscape are suitable for setting up private hotel business. Good facilities in this respect are offered by the tourist hut near Roman which needs refurbishment, the 50-bed Stroupetz monastery, the beautiful 20-bed "Wood-Nymph" chalet in the vicinity of Karash, the roadside motel in Sredni Rat, 2 private houses in Dolna Beshovitza and Karash. A 60-bed complex for rural tourism in the Malak Iskar river valley is planned to be built by 2003. The programme includes also the sports facilities in Roman and some villages - the three stadiums, one each in Sinyo Bardo, Kounino and Kameno Pole, the stadium in Roman with a tartan-covered track, a tennis-court with a locker-room. The municipality expects to increase its own receipts to 90 000 Lev, so that by 2006 its available budget shall be more than 3 300 000 Lev. This figure means new jobs, greater security for the population and a better standard of life.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENTS
The municipality of Roman needs investments for the realization of the following projects:

1. Auxiliary water supply - for the villages of Radovene, Stoyanovtzi, Houbavene, Karash, the town of Roman and the village of Kounino - from the water springs of Kounino village.
2. Reconstruction of a youth hostel into a home for elderly people - Roman
3. Reconstruction of a kindergarten into a home for the children of socially weak parents - Sinyo Bardo village
4. Heating system of the "P.R.Slaveykov” school - Roman
5. Gasification of the town of Roman
6. Sewage system in the town of Roman
7. Construction of a covered municipal trade market
8. Setting up mulberry plantations and facilities for the development of silkworm-breeding which is a traditional occupation for the population in this region
9. Development of tourism