Bulgaria's state budget made almost BGN 16.8 M from the concessions of port and airport terminals in 2009, according to final reports of Bulgarian institutions, the government announced Wednesday.

The final 2009 figures confirm earlier statistics; in February, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry revealed preliminary figures showing that the government got BGN 16.7 M from port and airport concessions in 2010, a slight decrease year-on-year.

The facilities on concession in 2009 were the Lesport terminal, a part of the Black Sea Port Varna, leased in 2005 to Chimimport Holding, owned by the Varna-based group TIM; the Black Sea Port Balchik complex leased in 2005; the Danube River Silistra ferry terminal leased in 2006; the Danube River Svishtov Port leased in 2007; Varna Airport and Burgas Airport leased in 2006; the Danube River Port Oryahovo leased in 2007; the Danube River Port Somovit leased in 2009. The Danube River Port Vidin North was granted on concession only in 2010.

The government has declared that a review of the contracts has made it clear the concessionaires are living up to their obligations tot he state; the total investments made in the ports amounted to BGN 4.6 M; the total investment in the airports in Varna and Burgas is BGN 19.9 M.

The state got BGN 160 000 from default compensations from concessionaires in 2009.

The airports in Black Sea cities Varna and Burgas have been granted on concession to Fraport Twin Star Airport Management company, a German-Bulgarian consortium between the Varna-based TIM group's holding "Chimimport" (40%) and the German "Fraport."

In 2010 alone, Fraport Twin Star Airport Management paid the Bulgarian state a total of BGN 13 M for the concessions of the Varna Airport and the Burgas Airport

According to the preliminary figures of the Transport Ministry for 2010, "Chimimport", which is also the concessionaire of the Varna "Lesport" port, the port in the northern Black Sea town of Balchik, and of the Vidin North port on the Danube River paid the state concession fees of BGN 2 M, BGN 350 000, and BGN 100 000 respectively.

The "Dragazhen Flot – Istar" company paid BGN 400 000 in 2010 for the Danube port of Svishtov; the "Slanchev Dar" company has paid for the Danube ports of Somovit and Oryahovo BGN 275 000 and BGN 54 000 respectively.

"Kaolin," concessionaire of the Danube ferryboat in the city of Silistra, has paid to the State BGN 78 000 in 2010.

Bulgaria's Borisov Cabinet recently announced procedures for the concessions of the cargo terminal of the Plovdiv Airport, for the entire airport of Shtraklevo near the Danube city of Ruse, and for the Gorna Oryahovitsa Airport. By the end of the year, it is expected to start the concession of the Sofia International Airport, the largest in the country.