Bulgarian Socialists Warn of Looming Impoverishment

Bulgaria's former BSP Deputy Economy Minister from the previous Three-Way Coalition cabinet, Yavor Kuyumdzhiev. Photo by BGNES

Expenses of Bulgarians for basis staples such as food, energy, and fuels will go up by BGN 30 a month in 2011, an analysis of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) reveals.

The data was announced Sunday by the former BSP Deputy Economy Minister from the previous Three-Way Coalition cabinet, Yavor Kuyumdzhiev, who says the forecast is based on information from the National Statistics Institute.

The left-wing point out this means every single Bulgarian will become poorer by BGN 400 a year in 2011 while in 2010, their income already went down by 10%.

BSP offer as a solution to index income and unfreeze wages.

The BSP Secretary and Member of the Parliament, Korneliya Ninova, explains there is no money for salaries and pensions over large-scale contraband, which has become a State policy.

Ninova gave as example the price of bread going up because the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party fails to assist farmers; does not reimburse them for the fuels' excise duty, and does not release them from corporative taxation.

In 2007, the price of a ton of wheat has been BGN 484 and the price of a loaf of bread BGN 1.2 compared to the current BGN 370 and BGN 1.3 respectively, according to the Socialists.