Bulgaria: MPs unanimously Adopted an Additional Extension of the Budget

With 207 votes "for", none against and no abstentions, the National Assembly adopted the additional budget extension with the proposed editorial proposals.

The deputies first voted on the received editorial proposals. Venko Sabrutev from the parliamentary group of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" proposed to include "no later than July 31, 2023" in the text, which was accepted with 209 votes "for" and no votes against and abstained.

The proposal of Petar Chobanov from the parliamentary group of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) to create a new point 3 with the content "the decision enters into force on the day of promulgation of the State Gazette" was also accepted with 209 votes "for".

Social payments are guaranteed, assured Finance Minister Asen Vassilev, according to whom this year's financial framework will be adopted by the end of July.

"As for what policies are going to be put in place, that depends on the relevant ministers, with whom we will be talking within the next 2 weeks about what there is room for, what policies can be put in place and secured, so that we again deploy, according to our funds, within the 3% budget deficit".

Vassilev explained that the current decision is necessary to provide time for the creating of the draft law for this year's budget. There are BGN 10 billion in the treasury, the finance minister also commented.

"So any talk of bankruptcy is absolutely untenable. The reason we are considering this extension law is not because there is no money, but because we should have the right to spend it."

The finance minister made a commitment from the parliamentary rostrum of the Ministry of Finance to submit the project as quickly as...