Parliament adopted the 2019 budget at first reading (OBSERVER)

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Parliament adopted a first reading vote in 2019 with 115 votes in favor and 85 against. The vote was carried out with the votes of GERB and United Patriots. It was endorsed by one EP Member and one independent Member. BSP and MRF voted in favor of the "anti" budget. Almost all ministers of the Cabinet attended the plenary session.
The priorities of the 2019 budget are social policy, education, defense and income policy. Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov said: "The budget for 2019 is not a pre-election. We are working on our pre-election budget, but we will watch this by the end of 2020." "Elections, at least as we see the government, will be in 2021," he said. According to the criticism that there are no reforms in the budget, Goranov said that the government is ready to discuss any proposed reform, which in itself is not in itself.
BSP opposed the financial framework of the next year. Levist leader Kornelia Ninova said that the 2019 budget is a budget for stagnation and insufficiency that is being implemented for the survival of the government. In its view, the government will be plagued by other profitable state assets in the economy next year. The MRF also opposes the future budget. Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of MRF Jordan Tsonev stressed that the budget does not reflect the cycle of economic development of the country and does not support growth. He stressed that budget planning in 2019 will continue to be inadequate, with high capital expenditure and surpluses that will be used by the Council of Ministers' decrees.
Budget revenues will amount to 43.8 billion leva, while in 2021 it is expected to reach 47.5 billion leva. There is a deficit of 0.5% of GDP. It is projected that GDP growth in 2019 will increase to 3.7%. Unemployment is expected to fall to 4.8%. Costs in 2019 will amount to 44.4 billion leva, while in 2021 it is expected to reach 47.5 billion leva. The budget provides 40.4 million leva for heating, 50% more than in 2018. BGN 150 million will be allocated to disabled people and BGN 7 million for children with orphans without the right to survivor's pension. Next year, spending on defense will reach 1.8 billion leva, which is 1.58% of the country's GDP. The funds will be allocated to projects for the modernization of air forces, land forces and the navy. In the next year, the funds for employees at the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice will be increased. Municipal revenues will increase by 120.8 million leva in comparison with those planned for 2018. The minimum wage will increase from 510 to 560 leva. 10% more are contributions to salaries and social security for civil servants. Teachers' salaries will be higher by 20% and teachers 10%. The funds allocated for pupils from the first to the fourth grade will also increase. With more than half a billion left, more funds will be available to municipalities. In 2019, public debt is expected to fall from 22.2 to 20 billion leva. Thus, Bulgaria will have the third lowest debt in the EU. Consolidated general government debt will range from BGN 24.3-23.5 billion.
Biljana IVANOVA

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