Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov promised on Monday, on the occasion of Miner’s Day, to continue financial support measures for the mining sector, which would help counteract high electricity prices, BTA reports.

Stankov recalled that the department within the Energy Ministry responsible for issuing permits, supervision and managing the database on underground resources was the first one he headed during his tenure as state secretary. At that time, a long-term strategy for the development of the mining sector was launched, in collaboration with the Bulgarian Chamber of Mining and Geology, with a time horizon extending until 2050. According to Stankov, even if this strategy is working, it needs to be further developed, according to Agerpres.

“We are currently working in the era of digitalization and artificial intelligence, but people remain the most important asset of this industry,” Stankov stressed.

The Bulgarian official mentioned the sustainable development of the mining sector, not only in terms of increasing extraction and labor productivity thanks to new technologies, but also by improving worker safety, increasing budget revenues and new tools in the field of rare metals and raw materials extraction.

“The 120,000 people who work, directly or indirectly, in the industry deserve to be celebrated because they ensure the security and transformation of the energy sector. Without them, the mining of copper, zinc, gold, silver and platinum, as well as the transformation process are simply not possible,” Stankov said. The minister also noted that the state has always supported the mining sector in difficult times.