Dominic Hamers: Business needs a predictable environment
‘A predictable and supportive government policy – backed by clear legislation, fast-track procedures for strategic projects, state financial incentives and genuine partnership – is essential for the industry to thrive in Bulgaria,’ said Mr Dominic Hamers, Executive Director of Geotechmin OOD , at the sixth edition of Business and the Regions: Acceleration forum organized by BGlobal Magazine.
The event brought together leading investors, mayors, representatives of local authorities, and members of the academic community to discuss the opportunities stemming from the EU’s new industrial policy and Bulgaria’s upcoming eurozone accession.
Mr Dominic Hamers participated in the first panel “Economy in an Acceleration Mode”. He said that strategically important industries, such as mining, require a stable regulatory environment and efficient public administration. According to him, slow administrative procedures and tacit refusals significantly delay the implementation of investment projects. He emphasized the need to replace tacit refusal with tacit consent.
Furthermore, fast-track permitting schemes should be introduced for projects involving the extraction and processing of critical raw materials, following the model of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.
As in other EU countries, grants and tax incentives should be also introduced to encourage investments in renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, and innovations in decarbonization.
Mr Dominic Hamers also gave an example of a slow administrative procedure.
‘We have built a third wastewater treatment plant for mine effluents at Ellatzite Mine near the town of Etropole. The new plant uses a cutting-edge technology developed by EnviroChemie, Germany, which has proved its effectiveness in several European countries. The investment plan dates back to 2019, yet we are still awaiting approval (Act 16) from the State Acceptance Commission before the plant can be officially put into operation. That means six years for an investment that improves environmental protection! The greatest delay resulted from a change in the intended use of municipal real estate properties some time ago – a clear example of an administrative obstacle that hinders even environmental investments,’ Mr Dominic Hamers said.
