The leading principle of work at the Road Infrastructure National Agency (RINA) is legal, transparent, effective, ethical and professional management of the projects on the development and maintenance of road infrastructure, the Government information service said.

The new rules of organization and procedure of this body, tabled by the Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, are a clear sign to Bulgaria's EU partners that this country will apply strictly the rules and procedures adopted in the Community, which is a step towards restoring confidence in Bulgaria.

The objective is to improve the management of activities in the sector of roads by streamlining the management and control systems at RINA, integration and coordination between the central administration and the specialized units, establishment of structural and functional mechanisms for effective administration, regulation of relations with the managing authorities on the operational programs of the EU and others.

The new organization of work will provide a powerful and reliable control system, which will guarantee the correct and expedient spending of funds.

RINA will be a first-level spending unit operating with budget credits, with an executive director who will bear the main responsibility on operational activity and will report it to the Council of Ministers. The director will be responsible for the implementation of each concrete RINA project co-financed under the structural funds and the Cohesion Fund.

Later in day, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev appointed Ivan Atanassov as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of RINA. On August 28 the government chose the five members of the board with a five-year mandate, including Ivan Atanassov, Milosh Potskov, Traicho Popov, Tsvetan Nanov and Tsveta Kamenova. The board has a five-year mandate.

Before being appointed chairman of the board, Atanassov headed a program group for coordination, control and monitoring of the Belene N-plant project at the Ministry of Economy and Energy. He has also been CEO of Devnya and Vulkan cement companies, as well as MP in 1994-1997.

Source: BTA