Bulgaria: MPs unanimously Adopted an Additional Extension of the Budget
Politics | June 8, 2023, Thursday // 12:32| viewsWith 207 votes "for", none against and no abstentions, the National Assembly adopted the additional budget extension with the proposed editorial proposals.
The deputies first voted on the received editorial proposals. Venko Sabrutev from the parliamentary group of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" proposed to include "no later than July 31, 2023" in the text, which was accepted with 209 votes "for" and no votes against and abstained.
The proposal of Petar Chobanov from the parliamentary group of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) to create a new point 3 with the content "the decision enters into force on the day of promulgation of the State Gazette" was also accepted with 209 votes "for".
Social payments are guaranteed, assured Finance Minister Asen Vassilev, according to whom this year's financial framework will be adopted by the end of July.
"As for what policies are going to be put in place, that depends on the relevant ministers, with whom we will be talking within the next 2 weeks about what there is room for, what policies can be put in place and secured, so that we again deploy, according to our funds, within the 3% budget deficit".
Vassilev explained that the current decision is necessary to provide time for the creating of the draft law for this year's budget. There are BGN 10 billion in the treasury, the finance minister also commented.
"So any talk of bankruptcy is absolutely untenable. The reason we are considering this extension law is not because there is no money, but because we should have the right to spend it."
The finance minister made a commitment from the parliamentary rostrum of the Ministry of Finance to submit the project as quickly as possible, so that there would be time for discussions in the National Assembly and by July 31 there would be an adopted budget.
MP Martin Dimitrov from "Democratic Bulgaria" called on the people's representatives to refrain from excessive expenses when the time comes for these discussions.
"The biggest risk in front of the budget that will be adopted is the National Assembly. We, together, must control it and not allow unnecessary and unjustified expenses".
Yordan Tsonev from DPS stated that growth is more important than the size of the deficit:
"The most important thing has always been your 3% deficit. It's also important to us, but at what cost?! If it will stop growth - no thank you"
During the meeting, the MPs from the various parliamentary groups blamed each other for the excessive spending in the financial framework and commented on the actions of the "Donev" cabinet, which, first of all, refused to submit a draft law on the budget last year within the legal deadlines on the grounds that there was no right to make policies, but in April it did - with the excessive deficit of 6.4%.
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