26.11.2012

"The 2013 budget is a budget to increase income because the budget provides for an increase by BGN 2 billion in the social sphere. Firstly, we give as much as we can and secondly, exactly as much as we can afford", the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance stated in an interview for Standard daily. According to him the main objective is to bring income closer to the EU average and for this reason we have to grow by around 2.5% above the EU average. The opinion of the Deputy Prime Minister is that elections are not won by meaningless spending but by showing what you have achieved and built over the years especially in a difficult economic situation.

With the coming of Christmas the question about allowances is always raised. However, the Minister stressed that he was not in favour of the idea for a 13^th salary under any form, because it was not a fundamental solution of any problem. According to him this is a kind of populism - let's give people to feel better at Christmas time but he rather wanted people to always feel better. If the bonuses are from the budgets of the ministries, as is the case with the Ministry of Defence, this is absolutely legal to give bonuses not only at the end of the year, but even every quarter.

Among the Finance Minister's objectives is also the setting up of tax investigation. He hopes that by the spring of next year the legal basis will already be in place and that would be a great success. Simeon Djankov further discussed in the interview the demographic crisis, the consultations on the 2013 budget, the connection between Bulgaria and the Eurozone and the future of the euro.