19.03.2013

788 POS terminals have been installed as of February 2013 in different state and municipal institutions whereby citizens may make free of charges payments to the budget using debit or credit cards. This has become possible after the Ministry of Finance has entered into framework contracts (equal conditions for all banks) with 19 banks for the purpose of servicing transactions of budget enterprises relative to revenue and other proceeds collection via card payments. As of the end of 2012 POS terminals have been installed in 93 municipalities, the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of economy, energy and tourism, the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the Technical University - Sofia.

As of the moment the process of gradual introduction of POS terminals in budget organizations continues. All conditions necessary for the timely introduction of card payments in the public sector via POS terminals were put in place in 2012, the initiative for the introduction and implementation of that form of payment being of the relevant budget organizations. A trend for increasing the number card transactions is observed. For 2012 the total number of such transactions was 32,516 to the amount of almost BGN 4,658 million. While only for the first two months of 2013 their number is 21,588 to the amount of BGN 1,359 million.

The Ministry of Finance has provided for free software for administering local taxes and fees to 209 municipalities in the country. The software meets the requirements for specific functionalities required for processing payments made also via POS terminals, which helps achieving the MoF objectives to reduce payments in cash. The software allows easy administration and keeping a register of citizens, registering and processing documents and declarations, liabilities and payments, accounting and reporting. There is a register of taxable persons in the new system and the register supports different types of identification codes. The software allows payment of liabilities by debit and credit cards in the Internet. The extension of the functionality to cover control and inspection activities and receivables activities is pending.