site.btaCouncil of Ministers Publishes Detailed Report on Governance of Outgoing Cabinet

In the last month of its governance, the regular cabinet mobilized all its efforts to move forward the most relevant decisions for the benefit of the people and the business, so that the transition to a caretaker cabinet is smooth and the country does not stop working, regardless of the complicated political situation, according to a report of the outgoing government on the occasion of the extraordinary tenth month of government, published on the website of the Council of Ministers on Thursday. The data in the report is broken down by policy. 

The Bulgarian economy is growing against the backdrop of contraction in Europe - by 1.8% for the whole of 2023, according to data by the National Statistics Institute. While the EU-wide economy slowed in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the previous three months (according to Eurostat), Bulgaria's GDP grew by 0.5%, ranking in the EU's top eight for growth over the period. Over the past three years, GDP per capita has grown by 10% - three times faster than in the previous period, the report says.

In February, inflation in Bulgaria continued to decline and slow down to 3.3%, while monthly inflation was 0.3%. Food prices have stabilized, according to the latest data from the Commodity Exchange and Wholesale Markets State Commission (CEWMSC).

The real purchasing power of Bulgarians compared to the European average has increased by 11% in the last three years and is now higher than that of Hungary. By comparison, it has grown by only 1% per year in the 11 years from 2009 to 2020. The average wage at the end of 2023 reached BGN 2,123 - up 13% compared to 2022. And the average wage over the last three-year period has increased by 53% since 2020. In 2023 pensions were updated by 12%, in 2024 there will be an 11% increase again. Minimum and average pensions have increased by over 130% with the last state budgets. By comparison, the average pension for the period 2009 to 2020 increased by only 33%, the outgoing government said.

The report also lists Bulgaria's accession by air and sea to the Schengen area, the new judicial system bill published for public consultation and proposed changes to the Medical Establishments Act to introduce a ban on opening new hospitals until the new National Health Map is approved.