site.btaPM Borissov Opens Plovdiv Economic Forum

120 POLITICS - BUSINESS - ECONOMIC FORUM

PM Borissov Opens
Plovdiv
Economic Forum


June 26 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov Wednesday opened the Plovdiv Economic Forum II, organized by Greece's Delphi Economic Forum and the Sofia-based Centre for Liberal Strategies.

Borissov stated: "During Bulgaria's EU Council Presidency, we put up for discussion the most complex topic - the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries." He expressed a hope that this would be appreciated some day. He also said he expects Bulgaria and North Macedonia to keep their goodneighbourly relations.

Addressing the business representatives, he noted the stability of Bulgaria's economic environment, saying that this country is attractive to foreign investors with its low taxes and good financial indicators. Borissov recalled that the government continues building and repairing its road infrastructure. As the construction of the Struma Motorway is nearing completion, Borissov suggested that an expressway or a motorway linking Alexandroupolis to the Struma Motorway be built through a public-private partnership with Greece.

New investors want to know how long it takes for TIR-trucks to get to the border, so the Kalotina checkpoint on the border with Serbia is being expanded, said Borissov. He listed the joint projects of regional importance which are in progress: ports, motorways, railways and gas pipelines. He noted that Bulgaria continues working towards a predictable tax policy, shrinking the grey economy and training the labour force.

Borissov also stressed that the government has been investing steadily in education, referring to a considerable increase of teachers' salaries and investments in education infrastructure.

Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev said Bulgaria's GDP doubled in the last decade, goods exports increased 2.4-fold, and the export of IT products and of outsourced services soared five-fold.

As part of the Single European Market, Bulgaria has seen the beginning of improvements in prosperity, but it should rely more on itself, Donchev said, adding: "It is good to think about larger investments and more jobs, but we should start thinking bigger about investments and production and set higher goals: larger value added, larger profits and higher wages." He said all countries which have effected a major economic turnaround relied on strong education, no mistakes in public finances, and social consensus.

Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov said that during its EU Council Presidency, Bulgaria put on the agenda a major priority - joining the ERM II and the Eurozone. He added that Sofia acted on the advice of its partners in the West that this should be done in close cooperation with the European Central Bank as regards banking supervision. Political and economic confidence in Bulgaria's prospects of joining the inner circle of European integration has never been stronger, said Goranov, and expressed a hope that this country would join the ERM II by the year's end.

This is the second year in a row that representatives of governments, businesses and NGOs from Bulgaria and other European countries have gathered in Plovdiv to discuss the challenges to economic growth and competitiveness in this country and in Southeastern Europe. Some of this year's topics are the prospects of the Western Balkans, the expectations from the new European Parliament and European Commission, demographic and health care problems, Bulgaria's roadmap for ERM II, ways to attract foreign investments, and the EU's energy and digital policies. IG/DD

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