site.btaDeputy PM Says Government Will Focus on Eurozone Membership after Securing Budget

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov  said on the sidelines of the Economist magazine forum held in Sofia on Wednesday, that the first and most important goal of the current government is to secure Bulgaria's regular budget. 

"A budget that will lead us out of the freefall that the country was led into due to unreasonable, huge spending. Immediately after achieving this goal, namely a 3% deficit and no more than 40% of GDP as budget expenditures, then perhaps the next morning we will sit down and re-state our priority of entering the eurozone," he commented.

Karadjov did not commit to specific dates when the government is expected to confirm the priority for membership in the eurozone, but specified that "this will be done immediately after the budget is adopted."

Regarding specific measures envisaged by the government to monitor prices, Karadjov declared that all measures at the state's disposal will be taken "to control any cartel, trust or other unauthorized and illegal agreements, as well as those taking advantage of a situation for profiteering."