Some farmers contacted by Telma who are waiting for IPARD III funds have said they are collateral damage of individuals, stressing they’re in a helpless situation. The National Authorizing Officer (NAO) stopped the payment on November 7 following the arrest of former Payment Agency Director Ilija Stoilev on suspicion of bribery.
15 beneficiaries have been left without the planned 400,000 euros, an amount that was supposed to arrive by the end of 2025. One of them has told Telma that they were paying interest as well. In addition, there are 24 applications concerning almost 7.5 million euros.
According to announcements, the decision temporarily stopping payments will be withdrawn once checks of projects approved by Stoilev end. Asked by Telma how many projects have been checked so far, the Finance Ministry has said the procedure is underway.