Kalin Kamenov, Mayor of Vratsa Municipality
Kalin Kamenov was born in Vratsa on July 19, 1980 and is a graduate of the South-West University "Neofit Rilski" in Blagoevgrad, majoring in Law. In 2013 he graduated from the Bulgarian School of Politics "Dimitry Panitza" at the New Bulgarian University. In the period 2010-2012 he was Deputy Chairman of the State Agency for Child Protection. From 2012 to 2013 he was Chairman of the State Agency for Child Protection. Expert on youth policies in the 42nd National Assembly. In 2014, Kalin Kamenov held the post of Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports in the caretaker government of Georgi Bliznashki, which he retained in the government of Boyko Borisov. Since 10.11.2015 he has been Mayor of the Municipality of Vratsa.
Mr. Kamenov, in 2021 you were awarded Mayor of the Year in the category "Investments and Jobs", in the annual awards of the Kmeta.bg. Vratsa seems to have reappeared on the investment map of Bulgaria. We heard about the construction of factories, about new jobs. How are investors attracted to the Northwest?
The short answer is – with a lot of work and perseverance. During my first term as mayor of Vratsa, my team and I set ourselves several main priorities. The focus of our work was the restoration of the road infrastructure, the renovation of the bases of educational institutions and the opening of specialties that meet the needs of the labor market, as well as the creation of conditions for local business. We went through many challenges, and undoubtedly the biggest of them was the restoration of the damage to the roads and main arteries caused by the city's water cycle project. The next step was to prepare the terrains that have the potential for realizing investor interest and to start active negotiations with potential entrepreneurs not only from the country but also from abroad. At the beginning, we were greatly supported by the Bulgarian Investment Agency. Thus, a few years after the beginning of the first term, the implementation of the first project of a foreign investor began in the city. It was followed by the opening of production bases of other companies. One of the conditions for attracting investors is not only to have adequate infrastructure and vacant plots, but also to make sure that the entrepreneur has confidence in the local government. And this is possible only when you do not create administrative obstacles and have transparent management of the local administration. The opening of new production complexes of foreign companies gave a breath of fresh air not only to the residents of the city, but also to representatives of local businesses, since some of them are actively partnering with the new plants, and others have begun to expand their own production.
Who are the largest investors on the territory of the Municipality and what is their field of activity?
At the moment, the factories of MD Electronic and Teklas Bulgaria are operating on the territory of the municipality, and in less than a month the production base of Heli wafers will open its doors. The main field of activity of new investors is the automotive industry. At the same time, in addition to the field of production, Praktiker also made a big investment in the city, and at the moment the company is about to build a large retail park here. In Vratsa there are fast-growing companies in the field of the clothing industry ("Chimbidium", "CTI", etc.), in the production of aluminum and PVC windows ("Cheh Plast", "TDM Plast", "Bartsev"), as well as a factory for ball valves "OMS Salery". A few years ago, the company "Lestoprodukt" expanded its production base, with an investment of over BGN 18 million. In the field of transport in the city there are leading companies such as "Ecofruit" and "Sputnik 96". We must not forget the cement plant of Holcim Bulgaria.
How do you assess the dialogue between the municipal administration and the local business?
Thanks to the achievements in the past years and the continuous dialogue with representatives not only of local business, but also of foreign partners, I can boldly say that the local administration is a good and predictable partner of the business. Proof of this is that a large part of the organized events and initiatives in the city are implemented with the support of local entrepreneurs.
There is a widespread complaint that there are jobs, but there are no people for the job. What is the situation in Vratsa?
Vratsa is no exception to the overall picture not only in Northwestern Bulgaria, but throughout the country. It is an indisputable fact that with the creation of more than 2000 new jobs in recent years, the picture in the field of unemployment has changed significantly. However, we still face serious challenges in terms of the lack of qualified personnel.
This summer it became clear that the Ministry of Education and Science supports a large-scale project for the establishment of a Center for Energy Development and New Sciences (CERNN) in Vratsa. Share a little more about this project. How did the idea come about, where will it be located, what is its purpose and where do people come from – people to learn and people to teach in it?
The project for the establishment of a Center for Energy Development and New Sciences is the key to solving several problems – on the one hand, for overcoming unemployment and lack of personnel for business, on the other hand – for the rapid development not only of Vratsa, but of the entire region. This is not just a concept for over BGN 100 million, but a fundamental project with which we propose a future for the Northwest. This innovative project will be built on the site of the school town in Vratsa and will include the establishment of a vocational high school of information technologies and energy sciences, as well as bases of Sofia University and the Technical University of Sofia. The specialties at the school will cover hydrogen, gas, nuclear and renewable energy, as well as IT, cybersecurity, robotics and nanotechnology. In the immediate vicinity, an Industrial Park will be established, which will be key to attracting investments in the region.
In September, the 135th Vratsa Autumn Fair was held. For Vratsa residents and guests of the city, this is a big event that has completely changed its appearance in recent years. What was the program for this year's edition?
At this year's 135th edition of the Vratsa Autumn Fair, we traditionally relied on Bulgarian producers and traders, and in terms of the cultural program – to meet the taste of each visitor, as much as possible, of course. More than 150 merchants from all over the country took part in the traditional event, offering a variety of products, boutique goods and handmade items. Traditionally, every evening on the fair stage there were thematic concerts. We started on September 13 with the local rock band "Doctor's Gogo Band", we opened the 135th edition with a concert of "D2 and friends", and on the eve of the first day of school on the fair stage were "Kerana and the Cosmonauts". The program continued with the favorite of several generations Veselin Marinov and a unique concert of "Etro Brass Band". The culmination of the festive program was the musical performance of the popular Greek singer Irini Papadopoulou. Her participation on September 18 officially marked the beginning of the Day of Greece in Vratsa "Kalimera Vratsa".
Finally, I would like to ask you about your summary of nearly 10 years as mayor of Vratsa. What are the biggest successes? What are the biggest difficulties? What do you dream about?
The biggest difficulty in the past years was the restoration of the damage from the water cycle project, and to this day my team and I are making incredible efforts to deal with the damage. It was also a serious challenge to show our fellow citizens that only if we are united, we can cope with any difficulty. This is one of our greatest successes – the city is alive, and with each passing year and overcome difficulties or achieved success, the people of Vratsa become even more united. I cannot miss another challenge that we managed to cope with, despite the skepticism and difficulties - the renovation of public transport. Today we have completely renovated vehicles, and after the implementation of our last project, we will be among the first cities in the Balkans with completely environmentally friendly transport.
I dream that Vratsa is a leader in the Northwest, that people are positive and smiling, that there are various events every day that breathe life into our city and that we are held up as a good example.
Complete the sentences:
Vratsa is ... A city with traditions and many opportunities for development.
The citizens of Vratsa are ... Hearty people who care about our common home.
Life in Vratsa is ... Not only calm, but also full of exceptional opportunities not only for the implementation of ideas and projects, but also for the utilization of free time.
The road is under repair ..., but if all interested parties and the state roll up our sleeves, very soon it will be just a dark memory of the past.
