The National Assembly has adopted at first reading the budgets of the State Social Insurance and the National Health Insurance Funds for 2014.

The vote went as follows: The 2014 Budget Act of the State Social Insurance Fund – 109 “yes”, 6 “against”, 7 abstentions; 2014 Budget Act of the National Health Insurance Fund – 110 “yes”, 40 “against” and 12 abstentions. Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and members of the cabinet were present at the sitting.
The lawmakers have continued the first reading of the draft 2014 State Budget Act.

Education, development of the regions, and the social policy represent the top 3 priorities of the 2014 state budget. The Finance Minister, Petar Chobanov explained the philosophy of the budget is focused on achieving specific results like restarting the economy and enhancing the economic growth. He explained - without that the fiscal discipline is not going to be sustainable and the investment climate predictable, something that will give positive signal to investors and increase the competitiveness of Bulgaria’s enterprises.

Minister Chobanov declared with the 2014 budget the government makes decisive steps in the right direction. The GDP is expected to reach 1, 8 % in real terms. The polices of the cabinet are clearly directed at supporting growth and increase of consumer spending in the country. The budget has put aside real funds aiming at diminishing the existing regional disproportions and has worked out a realistic forecast of the macroeconomic indicators.

In line with the policy of cutting public spending, the leadership of the National Assembly will propose additional reduction of its expenditures for next year before the second reading of the 2014 State Budget Act, announced the president of the National Assembly, Mihail Mikov, while presenting the draft budget of the institution.  He added, the goals set before the National Assembly for next year are to improve the transparency of its work, the strategic planning, coordination and administrative capacity.