'Austere' Bulgarian FinMin Awarded Hefty Bonuses

Despite earlier statements, Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has given bonuses to his subordinates at the end of 2011. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has given generous end-of-year bonuses to employees at his institution.

The news that Djankov offered bonuses in the amount of BGN 233 725 at the end of 2011 was reported by the Bulgarian "Trud" (Labor) daily, citing the Head of the Human Resources Department at the Finance Ministry.

The sum has been divided among 176 employees, but the amount of each individual bonus remains unknown.

In an interview, however, given two months earlier, Djankov declared that while his is Finance Minister, State servants would receive the so-called 13th salary, which in Bulgaria is their Christmas bonus.

Under the Access to Public Information act, "Trud" has requested information on the amount of additional pay, including bonuses, which has been distributed in the Finance Ministry. The later complied, but firmly refused to give information about individual amounts, citing the Protecting Personal Data Act.

The newspaper, however, quotes its own anonymous sources, saying that some Department Heads have received bonuses between BGN 30 000 and BGN 37 000.

The official information of the Ministry shows that 28% of all 620 employees have been awarded monetarily, which is an average of BGN 1 328 per person – about or more than the monthly wage of these employees.

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