There are record and unprecedented expenses in this budget. This was stated in “The Day Begins“ on BNT by Martin Dimitrov from PP-DB. According to him, 26 billion expenses are planned in 2025, which is three times more than in the previous year.
He commented that Bulgaria meets all the criteria for the eurozone and should enter it from January 1, 2026 and added that it needs some diplomatic efforts from the government.
" The budget has significant weaknesses. Yes, we will enter the eurozone, but these weaknesses will affect the growth, the development of Bulgaria's future. There are record and unprecedented expenses in this budget. Nobody has ever seen anything like this. This is big spending. The budget expenditure increases by 19 billion. If we add to them 7 billion that they plan to spend “below the line” directly to state-owned companies through the Bulgarian Development Bank, Bulgarian Energy Holding and whatnot. This is a total of 26 billion or the planned increase in spending for 2025 is three times more. Can you imagine it? They want to spend three times more compared to 2024 and the cost of all this calls into question the increase in taxes, which we want to avoid. There should be no increase in the tax and social security burden. The cabinet itself admits that it will raise social security contributions by 3 percentage points in 2027-2028, which has not happened for 17 years.
According to him, this will also lose part of Bulgaria's competitiveness. According to him, the revenues recorded in the budget seem unfulfillable.
„They are indeed generously forecasted in a way that is unlikely to happen. During the night sessions, I warned the Minister of Finance that an update of the budget is likely, because I do not see how these revenues will be implemented“, said the PP-DB MP.
There is a need to brighten up the economy with good conditions for business, said Dimitrov.
He also commented on the idea of the unspent funds for the PVP going to defense. In his opinion, this is acceptable, because Europe and Bulgaria need rearmament.
„We need to prepare for the global risks that are currently visible“, commented Martin Dimitrov.
In connection with the war in Ukraine, he commented that we need to work for a strong EU.