site.btaEconomy Ministry Proposes Guidelines for New Economic Strategy

Economy Ministry Proposes Guidelines for New Economic Strategy

Sofia, May 12 (BTA) - The Economy Ministry proposed guidelines
for a new Strategy for Sustainable Economic Development of
Bulgaria during the first meeting of the National Economic
Council (NEC) on Tuesday, Economy Minister Bozhidar Loukarski
said.

Employer organizations and government ministries were given two
weeks to propose measures for inclusion in the strategy. When
NEC meets again on June 16, the strategy will be made into a
programmatic document. The upcoming meeting will discuss the
corporate community's concerns about the regulatory burden on
businesses, said Loukarski, who chairs NEC. It will also discuss
possible legislative changes to speed up the issuing of the so
called "blue card" which allows foreign high-tech experts to
stay and work in Bulgaria. The current permit procedure takes
between six and nine months.

Tuesday's NEC meeting looked at matters which will be discussed
further at subsequent meetings, among them legislative changes
concerning local fees, initiatives to mitigate the effects which
the situation in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia have
had on Bulgaria, and government support for exports.

Loukarski said that next time employer organizations will be
able to raise questions with Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova
and Energy and Water Regulatory Commission Chairman Ivan Ivanov
about the price of electricity.

NEC decided to convene every third Tuesday of the month.