The parliament adopted at second reading the budget of the National Health Insurance Fund for the next year. According to the budget health services will be provided after verification of the patient’s identity and his/her health insurance status. The proposed amendment suggesting that newly created hospitals will be able to sign contracts with the local chapters of the National Health Insurance Fund not earlier than a year after their creation was rejected.  

The parliament passed also the amendments to the Tax-Insurance Procedure Code. In the future due payments for public liabilities could be paid by electronic cards. According to the Code, payments of public dues, collected by the National Revenue Agency with the exception of those pursuant to the Local Taxes and Fees Act, are non cash payable. The essential code amendments concern the cooperation of Bulgaria with the other EU member countries administrations in the area of tax and fees collection. The changes transpose the new European Directive which regulates the right of a member country to ask for and obtain information, to provide information, to collect and secure the collection of public dues, as well as the obligation of the country asked for such assistance to take all the necessary measures to secure the payments. The amendments enlarge the scope of the mutual assistance in the tax and fees collection area between the member countries covering all natural persons and legal entities established on the territory of the European Union.