The goal of the Finance Ministry is to reduce by the end of the cabinet’s term the Value Added Tax (VAT) to 16% from the current 20%.

The information was reported by Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, who attended Saturday the forum of the Bulgarian Medical Association in the beach resort town of Ravda.

Djankov told Bulgarian doctors that the country is suffering a budget imbalance, spending significantly less on healthcare and education compared to the other EU Member States and promised them a 50% wage increase in 2010.

The Minister however said that there will not be differentiated tax stakes for medical equipment and medications because such measure would trigger demands for reduced taxes for other goods and services.

Djankov supported the idea of copay and additional health insurance because for him this is the way to secure quality healthcare and eliminate cash payments “under the table.”

A price list for all medical procedures is to be prepared with the participation of finance experts and different versions for the copay will be ready for discussion in the next two weeks.

Djankov promised to present the proposed healthcare reforms to Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, as early as Saturday evening.

The Minister also agreed with the physicians that the number of members of Hospital Boards needs to be reduced and some Boards dismissed because they were appointed by the previous three-party coalition cabinet on the 3:5:8 principle and are not functioning.

The forum elected Doctor Tsvetan Raichinov from the Danube city of Ruse as new President of the Bulgarian Medical Association because the previous one – Bozhidar Nanev is now Health Minister. Raichinov received 203 votes out of a total of 370 delegates.

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