BUSINESSES DEMAND PUBLIC MONITORING OF STATE BUDGET EXPENDITURES

Yesterday, the Executive Chairman of BIA (Bulgarian Industrial Association), Bozhidar Danev demanded public monitoring of state budget expenditures at a meeting with social partners and employers. This would mean the introduction of assessment indicators on the performance of the public sector, clarified the Industrial Association. EU member-states have well-established practices for setting clear objectives and taking on commitments with the state administration for funds received. For example, one of the targets set could be a 10% reduction of crime by the end of the year, explained Danev. Businesses also demanded a reform of the state administration and budget allocations for it.

There is no available credit for capital costs and salary expenditures, argued employers. The budget report showed that there will be investments in several crucial sectors, but a total of BGN 964 mln out of the projected BGN 991 mln are for transport projects, claimed Nikolay Nenkov of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria (CITUB).

A total of BGN 620 mln of additional funds provided for the ministries have been hidden in the form of payments for the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), according to the business sector. The Finance Minister himself stated this. Employees of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior should be paid the same pension upon retirement as the rest of all EU civil servants, demanded Vladimir Karolev. Instead, this can be invested in pension reforms and increasing the years of service required for retirement, added Karolev.

Besides, a complete review of public spending was demanded by the Advisor to the President for Economic and Financial Affairs Kiril Ananiev. According to him, the macroeconomic framework for next year does not stimulate the main engines of economic growth, such as consumption, investments and exports. As a result, expected GDP growth will be less than 2%.