There is money in the state budget, but a budget amendment is necessary: finance minister
We are appealing to Bulgaria’s National Assembly to form a Committee on Budget and Finance and to amend the state budget, said this country’s caretaker Minister of Finance Assen Vassilev in Parliament.
He reported on the implementation of the state budget for the first 6 months of 2021. All opportunities for restructuring the state budget have been exhausted. The state will be able to pay for the current expenses until October. "No debts have been incurred by the state because it has enough money. However, the Parliament needs to give us the permission to spend more", said Minister Vassilev.
"The revenues for the first half of the year amount to EUR 12.6 billion, which is EUR 1.7 billion more than the revenues collected during the same period in 2020", added Assen Vassilev.
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Political forces represented at Bulgaria’s Parliament in dispute about budget amendment
The coalition "Stand up BG! We are coming!" has called on the MPs to immediately amend the state budget. The Chairperson of the coalition Maya Manolova insisted that the minimum monthly pension in Bulgaria be increased to EUR 188.
"We cannot sign a blank cheque to President Radev’s caretaker cabinet", said MP Alexander Ivanov from GERB/SDS coalition.
"There is Such a People" party has its own version of the budget amendment, said this party's financial expert Plamen Danailov. The version proposed by the caretaker cabinet does not take into account key expenditure items, contended Danailov. The revenue side of the budget should be slightly higher and the expenditure side should be restructured, said Plamen Danailov.