The famous banker and financier Levon Hampartzumyan sharply criticized the presented draft budget of the state, defining it as a "provocation".
"The entire draft budget is a provocation and no one wrote it with the idea that it would be implemented. And with the idea that it will provoke other actions or inactions in the administration," Hampartzumyan stated categorically.
The financial expert emphasized that the Bulgarian National Bank has often had remarks on various aspects of the state budget, but the current situation is unprecedented due to the scandalous nature of the proposal before the parliament.
Regarding the delay in adopting the budget, Hampartzumyan expressed relative calm: "The system will not break after January 1. I think that the deputies, voting for this long break, have taken into account that nothing God knows what will happen while they are gone. After they return, they will form committees and maybe in January, February we hope to see a revised budget".
The financier's warning about the possibility that the country may need the help of international financial institutions sounded particularly alarming: "With such a draft budget, the eurozone is a dream", adding that if the current trend continues, Bulgaria may find itself in a situation requiring a stabilization program with the International Monetary Fund.
Regarding the possible increase in taxes, Hampartzumyan called for a careful approach: "Increasing taxes is the next step, if it is necessary and must be explained and accepted by society. Before that, however, very serious and long work must be done to increase the efficiency of the public systems that spend these funds".