02.04.2016

"In 2015 we managed to achieve a decent compared to previous years' growth - the best after the pre-crisis period", Minister of Finance Vladislav Goranov stated in the Panorama programme of BNT. According to him there are many things that could be done in such a manner as to make business an easier endeavour in Bulgaria and they are related to amendments to the legislative framework which "even our colleagues from the present opposition recognized during their government in 2014 as a need for changes". Minister Goranov is convinced that obviously it is clear what has to be done but during the years nobody has finalized the decisions related to elementary things such as construction permissions, access to electricity, dispute resolution, opening accounts for electricity supply, etc. "Of course, the Ministry of Finance itself cannot be an initiator or to bring to finalization all these measures because of which we hold unenviable positions in international doing business classifications", he said. According to him at a first glance easy administrative and regulatory decisions could make Bulgaria much more attractive and investments to be at a higher level than in recent years. "There is a set of measures that we have planned and I have submitted it for consideration by the Government. We identify old problems, we are not discovering the hot water, but it looks as if we have not succeeded to overcome the administration and to have the will to impose it as a regulatory decision. We are aware of these constraints for doing business and they can be easily eliminated so as the state to be more attractive and things to happen more easily", the Minister of Finance pointed out.

The public procurement topic Vladislav Goranov commented as follows: "You know that we have adopted a new Public Procurement Law and Rules for its implementation - they provide much more opportunities for ex-ante control over all stages of the public procurement process. Thus we have in place vigorous measures to eliminate all faults of the practices until now".  

To the question about the connection between the reported in the first months of this year budget surpluses and the issued double tranche of bonds Minister Goranov replied: "I would be happy if the issued in March debt is not used and serves only for repayment of the already assumed debt in 2016 and the transactions that we have to repay in 2017. However, the budget is planned with a deficit of 2% of GDP, or BGN 1.8 billion, and this is related not with whims of the Minister of Finance but with the expenditure of society to maintain the state and its functions".

The Finance Minister further said that despite all offsetting, assignment transactions and attempts to additionally rob CCB (in insolvency), the Government, with the help of the opposition, had changed the legislation in a manner that enabled the state to have resources to appeal and contest all those lawful, but unacceptable from the equality of creditors principle view point transactions that additionally had harmed the CCB. He assured that all offsetting and transactions would be followed up and made null and void and that the process had already considerably advanced.

To a question if it was possible for the Minister of Finance to say whether a given policy was more important than another, for example healthcare or defence and security, Vladislav Goranov replied that that was the most difficult to achieve balance when making the budget. "For quite a few years we have not invested in the army and at the beginning of this term of office we had no substantial possibility to do so. The good coordination and work of the Government to bring to light the shadow economy provide an opportunity to make this step and gradually, year after year, to implement projects in the army". Minister Goranov is of the opinion that now the proper balance between security in social and military aspects could be found. "This balance is very difficult but, without unnecessary boasting, I think that we have success in setting our priorities", he added.

In regard to the social discontent expressed the Minister commented that if the Bulgartabac workers on strike had outstanding rights with their present employer, the state should intervene and the law had to be implemented, and the taxi drivers should be given the opportunity to work and rules in order to pay their taxes. As regards the protest of the doctors he reminded that additional BGN 129 million had been provided in the NHIF budget compared to last year and the payment in the Emergency Medical Aid Centre had been increased by BGN 20 million. "I think that enough has been done and now it is a question of priorities between the healthcare sectors. I don't know in this case whether the problem is in poor communication or in the unwillingness of the sector to accept stricter control", Minister Goranov said.