Society
Kaufland hypermarket chain likes a building of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia
BAS real estate estimated at around BGN 3 bn
08.02.2010
A large chain of food hypermarkets has expressed interest in the buildings of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), said yesterday the President of the BAS General Assembly, Stefan Vodenicharov, who met with left-wing lawmakers in Parliament. Professor Vodenicharov pointed out that in January he received a letter from the German company Kaufland for the purchase of land located at 67 Shipchenski Prohod (Pass) Str. in the Sofia capital – owned by the Institute of Metal Science. The company wants to build a new store of the hypermarket chain. The same letter was sent to the Deputy Prime Minister Simeon Djankov, the Education Minister Sergey Ignatov and the district administration of Sofia. "If it was an empty place, I would understand but there is a building of six floors and three large halls. There are laboratories inside, scientists who are working. There is a mechanical workshop, a facility for plastic deformation. There is a training welding school," said Professor Vodenicharov. The company asked in its letter when BAS will sell its property and what is its status. "When it comes to the liquidation process, different interests start to emerge," commented Professor Vodenicharov. He added that currently BAS has no budget and that the scientists have no funds for heating, electricity and water. In his words, the amount of BGN 10 mln previously allocated for BAS was transferred to the State Fund Agriculture at the second reading of the 2010 State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria Act. The resources could have been provided from another item instead of BAS allocations. "This is money which the directors of the institutes are now searching for," said also Vodenicharov.
MPs who attended the meeting stated that, according to BAS calculations, its real estate in the capital is worth BGN 3 bn. "We will insist on compliance with the autonomy of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) in order for the reforms not to turn into a liquidation of BAS. There is real danger of this happening," said the Leader of the Coalition for Bulgaria Sergei Stanishev.
