Bulgarian MPs to Make Budget Revision Final on 2nd Try

Bulgarian MPs will try Thursday for the second consecutive day to hold the final vote on the revision of State budget 2013, file photo

Bulgarian Members of the Parliament are resuming Thursday their debates at second reading on the actualization of State budget 2013.

Finance Minister, Petar Chobanov, and Social Policy and Labor Minister, Hassan Ademov, are expected to be in plenary hall again.

The current, Socialist-endorsed Cabinet of former Finance Minister and now Prime Minister, Plamen Oresharski, and Finance Minister Chobanov, decided in mid-July it was necessary to revise the budget prepared by Simeon Djankov, Finance Minister in the previous Cabinet of the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB.

The update includes a plan to take a new loan in the amount of BGN 1 B to be used as a buffer for the fiscal reserve in 2014, when Bulgaria must make new payments on its foreign debt. Other funds will be slated for the overdue money for the business and for social measures.

Contrary to earlier announcements and expectations, the draft bill on the revision does not include increasing the minimum monthly wage and does not provide money for the so-called Christmas bonuses for retirees.

Before going on summer break on Monday, August 5, the MPs will also work on amendments to the following Bills: Penalty Code, Special Surveillance Devices, and Public Disclosure of Assets of People at Senior Posts in the Public and Private Sector.

The Wednesday sitting on the budget update adjourned somewhat hastily at 5 pm as protesting Bulgarians demanding the resignation of the Cabinet began streaming to the square in front of the building of the Parliament.

On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finances passed at second reading the draft budget 2013 update.

During the sitting, the MPs from the Committee approved the proposal of their colleagues from the left-wing Coalition for Bulgaria to increase the State assistance for families with disabled children from BGN 189 a month to BGN 217. The measure will take force in August and will affect 22 000 handicapped Bulgarian children.

BGN 3 M will be needed for it by the end of 2013, and another BGN 7.4 M for 2014.

This proposal will be voted in plenary hall Thursday as well.

The full budget update is to also become effective in August 2013.

The Committee rejected GERB's proposal for a BGN 150 M-social package on grounds the government was already implementing social measures for the most disadvantaged groups and the number of people receiving "energy" assistance has been increased to 60 000, according to Chobanov.

Representatives of the trade unions stated they were deeply disappointed that even with the revision, social policies have been pushed to the side.

GERB and the recently-established right-leaning Reformist Block, which has no parliamentary representation, firmly oppose the revision.

The Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily wrote Tuesday that President, Rosen Plevneliev, is very close to vetoing the controversial actualization of State budget 2013.

The first and only violant clashes with riot police during the now 49-day strong anti-government protests occurred on July 23 when lawmakers and ministers decided to work late to discuss in 3 committees the budget update.

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