Sofia has been named the best city to live in 2011 in Bulgaria. For the second time, Bulgaria’s capital city has earned the prestigious award in the fifth annual rankings initiated by the Bulgarian media. In 2007 and 2008, this award went to the coastal city of Varna on the Northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast. In 2009, this distinction went for the first time to the capital, and in 2010 this title went to the second-biggest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Burgas . In the other three categories for 2011 for the best business city, greenest city and most beautiful city in Bulgaria, the prize went to Stara Zagora, Veliko Turnovo and Velingrad respectively.
The competition involves 28 cities and towns in the country, competing on 28 criteria. Sofia received the top score in the category "Best City to Live" under criteria such as investments, infrastructure projects, shopping hours and number of restaurants. Bulgaria’s capital went ahead of its competitors also in terms of its close promiximity to an airport, low unemployment levels, the number of universities and number of births per capita.
The big award was presented to the mayor of Sofia, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, personally by President Rosen Plevneliev.
”We must have more confidence in ourselves and forge our future by constant hard work", President Plevneliev said. "And that's what we see in these cities in Bulgaria which are so motivated and different from the situation five years ago and are only in their early development. Bulgaria is only just starting and that is why in 2012, together we will forge the strategy Bulgaria 2020. Our main priority will be the balanced regional development, but above all we will hear your voice - the voice of the best farmers, the people who have a vision for the regions and cities where they live and who are working around the clock, so that cities and their citizens are a good place to live and have an economic perspective and comfort.”
According to Sofia Mayor Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, this award is a sign of successful work of the municipal administration and an improvement in the urban environment. She hopes that the money allocated under an EU project for modernization of the urban transport in the coming years will make the daily routine of Sofia citizens much easier.
“Undoubtedl, the most important thing for each person in Sofia is the higher chance of finding a job", Mayor Fandakova pointed out. "Despite the crisis, these investments exceeding 1 billion leva and graned undert EU funds go directly into the business sector and from there – into the hands of people. This gives Sofia the chance to be really considered the best city to live. These investments lead to improving the environment. This is a great challenge. This award gives us an incentive and also a responsibility to work even harder to achieve an increasingly better living environment for the citizens of Sofia.”
Will Sofia turn into an e-city as President Plevneliev has recommended?
“The criteria outlined by President Rosen Plevneliev are arguably the most important ones for the development of the city. Investments, green policies as well as e-municipality are very important to improve the services we offer to people. Citizens lose many hours wandering among agencies and there is lack of information. So, e-services are very important. Sofia Municipality is working on this task. We are building an information system for the tax authorities. By March 1 this year, when the tax campaign campaign starts in Bulgaria, it must be implemented in all areas of the tax administration as a first stage and in the summer all departments will be interlinked. We do this to encourage the abiding taxpayers who may now be paying with an e-card and POS terminals. These are steps towards the computerization of services and we hope Sofia will become a leader in this field.”
What are the other challenges that Sofia is faced with?
“The fact that Sofia attracts so many people and at the same time the capacity of the city, especially its central part, is not suited for so many people means that many problems arise with traffic, parking, etc. On the agenda is also the problem with stray dogs, which personally bothers me most b ecause we have tangible results and progress on all other issues. So this year we will focus our efforts on improving the control of the castration of stray dogs and the building of shelters. I hope the requirements for shelters will be modified so that they provide acceptable conditions for dogs. These are all future tasks. But I want to thank you again for the award. It is an incentive not only for me but for the entire city council, because with the support of council members from all political forces we can actually solve the most important issues of the city”, Sofia Mayor, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova, told Radio Bulgaria.
Translated by Rossitsa Petcova
