The balanced budget and the fighting of contraband will be the top priorities of the Bulgarian government for its second 100-day period.
This was proclaimed Tuesday by Bulgaria’s Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, as the government led by GERB party leader Boyko Borisov turned 100 days after swearing into office on July 27, 2009.
Djankov, who is also one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers, outlined a total of 10 key priorities for the government of the center-right GERB (“Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria”).
“Bulgaria has the most stable fiscal policy in all of the EU. We have the political will to repeat those successes in the future. The second top measure is boosting the fighting of illegal business and contraband. This could be done through reorganization of the Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency. A huge part of the state revenue comes from excise duties. Only in the last month we carried out 150 successful raids against smugglers,” Djankov declared.
In addition to the balanced budget and cracking down on smuggling, the top priorities include reforming the state administration, increasing transparency in public procurement procedures, amending taxation legislation, straightening the management of state property.
The last measure could be implemented through the creation of a State Assets Agency to govern real estate properties belonging to the state.
Djankov also said the government planned to merge the Privatization Agency and the Agency for Post-Privatization Control – a recommendation made Monday by Blue Coalition leader Ivan Kostov.
In order to streamline the public tenders, amendments of the Public Procurement Act are also planned.
The government is going to set up a “Golden Register” as part of its tax policies. It is going to contain the names of all conscientious firms and companies paying their value-added tax on time. The benefit of being listed in the Golden Register will be that VAT will be refunded within one week to the firms included in it.
Author: Philippe, 3 Nov 2009 23:19:26
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
Every new government in BG stated they would fight the contraband. It turned out that they replaced existing gangs with those that favoured them, or they simply accepted the bribes for the existing contraband to continue. Don't forget that the US parliament had a 3 inch thick file on Boiko Borisov. 3 inches is about 8 centimeters; Be sure it is not about his merrits. I wonder what this man can do when a mobster calls him with the words: "Boiko, do you remember this deal from 10 years ago?". The butter on the head starts to stink when it gets too much sunlight!
Author: DP, 3 Nov 2009 23:41:56
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
"Don't forget that the US parliament had a 3 inch thick file on Boiko Borisov. 3 inches is about 8 centimeters; Be sure it is not about his merrits."
Philippe,
What are you talking about? Firstly, there is no such a thing called US parliament, and secondly can you substantiate this claim of yours?
How can we forget something if we have never heard about?
Author: FIGMENT, 4 Nov 2009 00:21:57
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100
DP
I don't think Philippe meant the US has a file on Boyko. I am quite sure the US doesn't have a clue about Mr. Borissov and the US would like to keep it that way. lol
Author: Philippe, 4 Nov 2009 01:15:09
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
DP,
You are right, the US parliament is calld the US Congress, with a senate and a house of representatives. Sorry.
This US congress publishes the US Congressional Quarterly. In March 2007, the visit of Mr. Borisov to Mr. Bush, they published a file on Mr. Borisov. The international press reported on this. Probably you missed it.
I did some research:
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_165193915
You can find more on this on the internet; Although it is strange that the Novinite reporting on this is deleted. Maxime?
Nice to read (back from 2002, when Mr. Borisov was chief of the police)
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=13028
Best regards,
Philippe
Author: Philippe, 4 Nov 2009 01:49:27
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
DP, curious to hear your reply.
I cannot help it, but Mr. Borisov appearance and acts remind me of Col. Kurtz, Joseph Conrad's character in The Heart of Darkness, widely known from Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now.
Author: Philippe, 4 Nov 2009 02:25:30
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
Sooner or later, Mr. Borisov's minority cabinet will fall. It needs only one or two scandals among his GERB ministers, to trigger a fatal non-confidence vote. After new elections, he will end up with less MP's than now, obliging him to a coalition government. Then he will become really dangerous. Be sure: IPON is ready! Better armed and trained than the BG army and DANS all together!
Author: DrFaust, 4 Nov 2009 02:34:28
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
Philippe,
no need to apologize. Of course the US like every democracy HAS a parliament. It is divided in two houses that have the names you mentioned. To say US has no parliament (because the two houses have specific names) is so silly like to say that for example England or France have no parliament (because their parliaments also have special names). You shouldn't respond to any of DP's always-so-clever comments from the sideline. Usually they are in fact not so clever.
Author: viking, 4 Nov 2009 03:09:13
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
Sorry, Doc!
DP is right and the USA does not have and never had a Parliament.
It is a Congress and it is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives.
I believe the founding Fathers were very clear about the USA not having a Parliment and did this to make sure we were not following the English example.
Has nothing to do with the USA being a Democracy. Matter of fact we are not a Democracy, we are a Republic.
Don
Author: DrFaust, 4 Nov 2009 03:32:58
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
viking,
democracy and republic are not opposed terms. US is a democracy and a republic.
I am aware that you have a presidential system, contrary to a paliamentary system. That doesn't change the fact that the legislative power is mainly with the Congress, which is thereby having the function of a parliament.
Author: viking, 4 Nov 2009 03:46:13
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
DrFaust
Actually we do not have a "presidential system". It is a well crafted "balance of power" system with the President , Congress and Judicial all being equal. Each watches the other and can bring the other to their knees if need be.
Makes politics very fun at times.
The closest thing to a Parliament we have is the Congress.
Our system works very well at times and sometimes it is a joke. I don't think many countries have the powerful Judicial branch we do, but I could be wrong.
We really are not a Democracy because that would require direct voting for laws and we have representative government.
You have reached my maximum knowledge base (that is not hard to do) and I am afraid there are others who know much more than I.
Have a good night
Don
Author: DP, 4 Nov 2009 03:51:13
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100 Days
Philippe,
Thank you for the links. I just glanced at the forum and had no time to go through them.
With this post I only want to clarify my point regarding the US parliament on account of the comment DrFaust made.
Let me put it that way: all democracies have assembly places and the Parliament is the designation for the place of assembly for the countries with Parliamentarian system of government. As you indicated the Presidential system has a Congress. The Russians have the Duma and so on...The word Parliament is not a generic term used to designate each and every one of the democratic assemblies existing in the world, imho.
We can go on and on regarding the roles of the Congress versus the Parliament, but this is not what the conversation was about.
I apologise for involving you in this needless argument. You have been very gallant and polite in your reply to me so I felt compelled to say something to clarify to you my comment regarding the term US Parliament, as I said earlier.
As far as Boyko Borisov goes I came to appreciate him only in the last few years and mainly as a person of action. I don't know much about his past and this is why I got interested in your comment. Hope to learn more.
Thanks for the links again.
Kind regards!
Author: FIGMENT, 4 Nov 2009 04:18:45
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100
Fister
The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers and the system of "checks and balances," each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other branches.
The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. It is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Executive power is vested, with exceptions and qualifications, in the President.
Judicial power — the power to decide cases and controversies— is vested in the Supreme Court.
Separation of powers is the political doctrine under which the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are kept distinct, to prevent abuse of power. This U.S. form of separation of powers is sometimes also known as checks and balances.
Author: Philippe, 4 Nov 2009 05:15:40
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100
Nelly, you are wrong. A democratic "State" has 3 branches. The government is the executive ower. The government has no power over the parliament or the juridical power.
Author: Philippe, 4 Nov 2009 05:20:22
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100
And Nelly, this separation of powers has nothing to do with the US. It was well invented long before, by the Romans. Probably not mentioned in the US history books (if they go that far)
Author: DrFaust, 4 Nov 2009 06:15:45
Balanced Budget, Fighting Contraband Key for Bulgaria Govt's Next 100
Interesting that according to Don, US is not a democracy. As I understand, Americans sometimes use the same word in a very different sense than Europeans. Reminds that for an American, liberal and communist are almost considered as synonyms.
