Borissov: 'We Did Everything We Could'
GERB leader Boyko Borissov expressed his perspective on the recent negotiations surrounding the formation of a government, highlighting the challenges and compromises faced during the process
HOT: » Assessing the Legacy of Bulgaria's "Denkov" Cabinet: Achievements, Failures, and What Comes Next
Bulgarian Parliament adopted on first reading the much debated amendments to the Social Insurance Code, which will enter into force on January 1, 2011.
The amendments were adopted on Thursday with support from 90 votes (from Bulgaria's ruling party GERB and the nationalist party Ataka), 37 votes against (from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the ethnic Turkish party DPS and the rightist Blue Coalition) and 3 abstained.
Starting next year, the new retirement requirements for men will include simultaneously minimum 37 years of service and age above 63. Women should be 60 years of age and should have 34 years of service.
From 2012, the years of service for retirement will start increasing by 4 months a year.
The most discussed amendments were the ones regarding the changes in the age and years of service for people from first and second category labor and the drop of the old-age allowances.
Bulgaria's Labor Minister, Totyu Mladenov, has announced that the amendments were negotiated between the social partners and the cabinet and have met "broad public support."
GERB and Ataka have also supported the pension reform, saying that this is the first time when Bulgaria has a long-term strategy for 25 years ahead.
According to Hasan Ademov from the ethnic Turkish party DPS, the pension reform could be viewed as a way of the ruling party to ensure their own comfort before the local and presidential elections.
In his words, the date January 1, 2012, which is envisioned to be the start of the increase of the retirement years of service, was not chosen by chance, but is rather selected to be after the elections.
"You transfer all unpopular measures to the next governments," Ademov told GERB.
According to Maya Manolova from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the reform was made against and despite of the people.
"It is a huge delusion that the changes have been backed up after a broad public discussion," she said.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
In order to protect the economic interests of consumers, there will be a period of double labeling of the prices of goods and services - in leva and in euros
As Bulgaria inches closer to joining the Eurozone, concerns arise over the implementation of rounded prices in euros, potentially impacting citizens' wallets upon adoption of the single currency
On a briefing held at the National Press Club of BTA, Nikola Ilchev, the creator and organizer of the Balkan eCommerce Summit, showed projections indicating a significant rise in Bulgaria's e-commerce sector
The Ministry of Finance in Bulgaria has revealed that the process to facilitate the exchange of levs with euros in the country will come with a hefty price tag, estimated to be at least BGN 500 million
As Bulgaria steers towards adopting the euro, economists dispel concerns over potential price increases, assuring the public that the impact on inflation will be minimal
The Ministry of Finance has released a draft law for public discussion concerning the adoption of the euro in Bulgaria. The primary aim of the proposal is to ensure a smooth and transparent transition to the European currency
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022