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Bulgaria must quickly renegotiate clauses of the Recovery Plan

Finance Minister Assen Vassilev
Photo: BGNES

The 2023 state budget with a 3% deficit is feasible and does not "tighten the belts", Finance Minister Assen Vassilev told Nova TV. A total of BGN 250 million (EUR 125 million) has been additionally allocated for salary increases in various sectors, Vassilev said.

The funds for culture have also been increased, Vassilev added. If in 2022 funding for culture amounted to BGN 340 million (EUR 170 million), of which BGN 40 million (EUR 20 million) remained unused and returned, in the new budget it is BGN 357 million (EUR 178.5 million).

The government must finish the renegotiation with the European Commission on some clauses of the Recovery and Resilience Plan in a very short period of time in August and September. Parliament must also pass the Energy Act, which is one of the main pieces of legislation for the second payment under the Recovery Plan. The budget stipulates that the second payment under the Plan must come by the end of the year, which means that the legislation must be adopted by the end of September, Vassilev also pointed out.



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