Bulgarian Economist Warns: Raising Taxes Won’t Solve Deficit, Efficiency Is Key
Economist Dimitar Chobanov has stressed that Bulgaria should focus on adjusting public spending rather than raising taxes
Bulgaria’s central government budget showed a surplus of BGN 890M equivalent to 1.1% of the projected 2015 GDP, the Finance Ministry announced on Friday.
This compared with a budget deficit of BGN 996.4M, or 1.2% of GDP at the end of June 2014.
The turnaround to surplus was due to a 15-percent year-on-year increase in budget revenue and grants, which totalled BGN 16.3B, or 53.7% of the 2015 plan at the end of June, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Tax revenue increased by 9.9%, reaching BGN 12.3B or 51.2% of the 2015 plan.
Non-tax revenue was 10.7% higher, while grants, which comprised mostly EU funds, rose by 71.2%.
Budget spending, including Bulgaria’s contribution to the EU budget, totalled BGN 15.4B or 46,9% of the annual plan. This was 1.6% higher compared with the end of June 2014.
The government’s fiscal reserve totalled BGN 11B on 30 June 2015, including BGN 10.8B deposited with the Bulgarian National Bank and other banks.
Citing preliminary data and estimates, the Finance Ministry said it expects to report next month a central government budget surplus of BGN 801M for end-July equivalent to 1% of the projected 2015 GDP. The preliminary figure is an improvement on end-July 2014 when the central government budget was BGN 1.15B in the red, equivalent to 1.4% of GDP.
Bulgaria’s minority coalition government has projected 3% deficit in the 2015 budget bill adopted by Parliament in December. Budget revenue is forecast at 36.8% of GDP and expenditure is set at 39.8% of GDP.
As Bulgaria prepares to join the eurozone, many people who have been collecting coins from daily change may be wondering what to do with their small change
Economist Georgi Ganev has warned that Bulgaria’s forthcoming budget is likely to leave the country poorer than it could be, emphasizing that the process lacks genuine dialogue
From January 1, 2026, Bulgaria will officially become part of the eurozone, and the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) will join the Eurosystem's joint production pool for euro banknotes
The Bulgarian government under Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov says the country is fully prepared for the switch from the lev to the euro on 1 January 2026, having finalised key legislative and operational steps.
Bulgarian banks are preparing for the New Year by ensuring that all ATMs will be stocked with euros starting January 1
As the clock strikes midnight and Bulgaria welcomes 2026, the country will also enter a historic financial shift - the beginning of its transition to the euro
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence