Bulgarian MPs Approve Upping Maternity Allowances

The bill was drafted after a series of protests of mothers against the decision of the former center-right GERB government to freeze maternity allowances. Photo by BGNES

Two bills on increasing maternity allowances for the second year of leave passed first reading in Bulgaria's Parliament Thursday.

Both bills stipulate an increase in maternity allowances from the current BGN 240 to BGN 310, equal to the monthly minimum wage in the country, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

The bill tabled by center-right party ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, says that the increase is to take effect on July 1, while the bill of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, envisages an increase from October 1.

The date of the entry into force of the updated maternity allowances is to be determined during the debates on the bill at the parliamentary committees between the first and second reading.

The bill was drafted after a series of protests of mothers against the decision of the former center-right GERB government to freeze maternity allowances.

The bill submitted by GERB admits that the previous cabinet made a mistake by rejecting to increase maternity allowances.

Both bills point out that the increase in maternity allowances will not necessitate the allocation of extra resources from the state budget.

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