site.btaProgrammes Financed under OP Human Resources to Support Disabled People in 2017

Programmes Financed under OP Human Resources to Support Disabled People in 2017

Sofia, December 13 (BTA) - Several programmes financed under Operational Programme Human Resources Development (OPHRD) will support people with disabilities in 2017, Labour and Social Policy Minister Zornitsa Roussinova said after a meeting of the OPHRD Monitoring Committee on Tuesday.

A programme worth 500,000 leva will help the Agency for People with Disabilities evaluate the policy towards those people, which can be instrumental in continuing some reforms, said Roussinova.

Another programme will support nationally representative organizations of people with disabilities, helping them keep their members informed and offer advice on social services.

The Agriculture Ministry approved 29 strategies in November for access to multi-fund financing under several Operational Programmes, said Roussinova. Those are strategies of the local action groups in the rural regions, which receive support from the Rural Development Programme, as well as from OPHRD, OP Competitiveness and OP Science for Smart Growth. At this stage, 17 strategies will get support from OPHRD for measures promoting employment and social inclusion, among others. Roussinova said these initiatives are important for the local communities because they combine opportunities for improving infrastructure through measures which support enterprises and ensure employment, social inclusion and education.

Another initiative has to do with support for municipalities which have included social services such as shelters and soup kitchens in their investment plans financed under OP Regions in Growth.

The programmes span between one and two years, said Roussinova.

In the 2007-2013 programming period, two million Bulgarians benefited from the European Social Fund. More than 81,000 people used various social services, more than 140,000 found jobs, 77,000 students received grants, and some 150,000 people received training to improve their chances in the job market.