At its sitting dated September 12, 2008, the NA adopted at first reading changes in the Encouragement of Employment Act which give pensioners the opportunity to participate in programs for employment and continuing education. The bill also envisages the enlargement of the National program in support of motherhood.

The bill was submitted by the Council of Ministers and aims at facilitating employment for retired people. The bill regulates the right to information about the programs for employment and the measures undertaken by the government to stimulate it.

The bill for the settlement of the social security rights of some Bulgarian citizens arranges the years spent by the Bulgarian medics in prison in Libya to be added to their length of service for social security and retirement purposes. The bill was introduced by the Council of Ministers following the presidential decree of July 24th 2007 condoning the life imprisonment penalty imposed on them by a Libyan court.
The contributions to their Social security accounts for the time spent in prison will be covered by the state budget.

NA approved at first reading the creation of a National Council for Labor Inspection. The latter will represent a permanent tripartite agency for the coordination, consultation and collaboration in the field of Labor inspection. The bill was initiated by the Council of Ministers and proposes the agency to be attached to the Minister of Labor and Social Policy. It will include representatives of state institutions, employers and trade unions.

The bill aims at establishing a national system for labor inspection and forms of control and at regulating the interaction between the state institutionsimplementing the control.
During the time allocated for parliamentary control Deputy Prime Ministers Daniel Vulchev and Emel Etem and the ministers Miglena Tatcheva, Petar Mutafchiev and Jevdet Chakurov took the floor to answer questions of members of parliament.