site.btaParliament Passes on First Reading 2021 State Budget Bill

November 6 (BTA) - Parliament Friday passed on first
reading the 2021 State Budget Bill. The bill was passed in a
98-6 vote.

The bill was supported by the MPs of the ruling coalition of
GERB and the United Patriots, who described it as "the budget of
delivered promises". One MP from Volya too voted in favour of
the bill.

The opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party did not take part in
the voting while the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and
independent MPs referring to themselves as progessive Socialists
did not support the bill.

The 2021 state budget provides for increased incomes and
measures to address the social and economic impacts of the
coronavirus epidemic, a 2.5 per cent growth of the Gross
Domestic Product, and a deficit of 3.9 per cent of the GDP.

The MPs rejected a draft budget of the judiciary submitted by
the Supreme Judicial Council.

The budget for 2021 provides for an increase of the minimum working wage to 650 leva starting as of January 1.

Teachers' salaries will be increased, in respect of which 360 million leva have been set aside.

The pay of workers at the frontline of the coronavirus epidemic will grow by 30 per cent while public sector salaries will increase by ten per cent.

The minimum pension for contributory length of service and age is set to increase by 50 leva to 300 leva, in respect of which 474 million leva have been set aside.

A buffer of 600 million leva is provided in case the epidemic deteriorates considerably, requiring emergency provision of money. Financing to municipalities will increase by 731.7 million leva from the like figure for 2020.

The defence outlays include money for the acquisition of a multi-role patrol ship for the Navy and armoured personnel vehicles for the Land Forces, as well as financing for the creation of an integrated system and infrastructure for the operation of the new type of jet-fighters of the Air Forces.

A new update of the 2020 budget is planned whereby the deficit under the consolidated fiscal programme is set to increase to 5.2 billion leva (4.4 per cent of the projected GDP). RI/ZH
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