site.btaEmployers' Association Expects GDP Increase of Close to Lv 130 Bln in 2020

January 24 (BTA) - The Association of Organizations of Bulgarian Employers (AOBE) said during a BTA-hosted news conference here on Friday that they expect Bulgaria's GDP to increase by around 127 billion leva this year.

AOBE is made up of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB).

AOBE presented their priorities for 2020, which are focused on three main areas - improving the business climate, accelerated solutions to the problems related to human resources, and a comprehensive reform of the energy sector.

The priorities include a total of 31 measures, which the leaders of the employers' organizations presented and discussed. Among them is suspending the practice where employers pay the first three days of their employee's sick leave, and adopting measures to curb abuses related to paid sick leave, disability benefits, etc. Employers, however, could not agree on the mechanism for overcoming the paid sick leave problems.

According to BIA President Radosvet Radev, Bulgaria needs a whole new Labour Code.

BCCI's head Tsvetan Simeonov, described the lack of e-government in Bulgaria as unacceptable.

The priorities further include fighting the gray economy, corruption, monopolization and cartelization, encouraging the digitalization of enterprises, countering VAT fraud, among others.

Among the other topics highlighted by the employers were Bulgaria's joining the ERM II, Schengen and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, improving this country's energy connectivity, as well as linking with the gas transmission networks of neighbouring countries, among others. NV/MY


/МЙ/