site.btaPodkrepa Confederation of Labour Chief Economist: Citizens’ Standard of Living Must Be Guaranteed

Commenting on the upcoming debates in Parliament on the package of tax laws, adopted by the Government and the draft state budget for 2024, Podkrepa Confederation of Labour Chief Economist Atanas Katsarchev said that the living standards of citizens must be taken into consideration and guaranteed.

In his words, it is not normal to have a tax hike at a time when the minimum wage is about to be increased. Katsarchev noted that, according to statistics, two-thirds of households in Bulgaria live at the subsistence level.

Days ago, the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour said in an official statement that the tax laws package, adopted by the Government, includes proposals that were not discussed by the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. The syndicates gave an example that some of the texts "create a possibility of a sharp increase in the tax burden on households, which will affect their standard of living in a negative way".

Katsarchev commented on the words of Finance Minister Asen Vassilev, who said earlier in the week that the Finance Ministry had calculated that pensions will increase by 11%. "If they raise the taxes, it means "goodbye" to the pensions’ increase", Katsarchev said.

The Podkrepa Confederation of Labour Chief Economist pointed out that when it comes to state budget and tax policy, principles are most important. "If things are chaotic, no one can be sure what direction they will take tomorrow," he stressed.

On Friday, Finance Minister Asen Vassilev presented the the key budget parameters of the 2024 draft state budget.