Bulgaria's Finance Minister Simeon Djankov assessed as "reasonable" the idea for the reserve of the National Health Insurance Fund (NZOK) to be redirected to the National Social Security Institute (NOI).

"This is an option for helping indirectly the whole social system. The money would be used properly because the people who use health services the most are the pensioners," Djankov said Tuesday in an interview for the Bulgarian private TV channel Nova TV.

He has explained that at the moment, the reserve of NZOK in the Bulgarian Central Bank, BNB, is BGN 1,25 B, and would reach BGN 1,4 B by the end of the year.

Djankov once again denied the allegations that he was using the money from health insurances to fill the budget deficit.

"This is not true and has never happened. No finance minister has allowed himself to do this and could not do it even if he wanted to," he said.

He pointed out that in order for the NZOK reserve to be redirected to NOI, the Parliament has to change the Health Insurance Act.

According to the last update of the Act from 2008, 2% of the health insurances are collected as a reserve in BNB for private health insurance funds.

However, private health funds do not exist at the moment and Djankov stated that the money could be redirected for social activities,

"Even if the change is adopted, the money would still not go to the health care, but rather to NOI," the finance minister said.

Djankov also explained that the reason for providing BGN 65 M to the health care was not the change of the Health Minister.

"The day before, Eurostat's President confirmed our data and said that Bulgaria has a positive growth, which means that by the end of the year, we should expect bigger incomes. This is where the additional money for health care came from," he said.

"It is normal for people to want more money from me because I am the only one who is giving it. 2010 state budget is better than the previous one for the health care, social fields, defense, environment and infrastructure," Djankov said.

In his words, the increase of the budget for these areas would be ensured by taking a loan, which would not necessarily come from outside the country.

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