site.btaGovernment Provides BGN 184 Mln for Salary Increase at State-Run Universities and Scientific Organizations

The government is providing BGN 184 million for a salary increase at state-run institutions of higher education and scientific organizations, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev told a briefing at the Council of Ministers on Monday. He said a decree to this effect was adopted by the government earlier in the day without meeting.

"When we gave the first millions, we said we would carry on, because we had reached an agreement with the trade unions," Glavchev said. According to the government press service, this latest salary increase is effective retroactively from April 1, 2024.

The Prime Minister went on to explain: "We acted quickly because we did not know what [the next government] would decide. You know that a government-forming procedure is underway, in which the President is making decisions, and we did not want to let the people think we went back on our promise, so we decided to do it urgently to show that the trade unions and the academic community do not need to worry."

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova said the money will be provided from the state budget after an expenditure adjustment.

The briefing was also attended by Education and Science Minister Galin Tsokov and trade unionists, who expressed their satisfaction with the government decision. The unions stressed that the education system should be resilient, and noted that it has other, non-financial deficiencies.