site.bta Business Representatives Again Urge Bulgaria to Join Eurozone Soon

Business Representatives Again Urge Bulgaria to Join Eurozone Soon

Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - Dimitar Brankov, Vice President of the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), said  that even in the current crisis Parliament could adopt a declaration on Bulgaria's entry in the Eurozone. This matter should not be part of any campaign debate, and the future parliaments and governments will have to deal with it anyway, said Brankov.

Addressing the Bulgarian Economic Forum, he recalled that the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation has a position on this and has agreed that the preparations for entry and the process as a whole should be accelerated.

Brankov also said the Eurozone debate in Bulgaria should have started earlier, both at expert level and in the business community. So far views have been aired in the media, and last year the cabinet adopted a decree on the preparations for Bulgaria's entry and created a coordination mechanism, said Brankov. In January 2016, BIA identified a need to speed up the preparations and raise the Bulgarians' awareness of the Eurozone.

Brankov said: "We have a long way to go before we reach agreement, especially politicians. The parties seem to avoid debate on this matter, while MPs seem to be afraid they can say something out of place or lose some votes at elections." He opined that Bulgaria let the time for debate on the Eurozone slip by since it joined the EU in 2007.