Government Looks at 80 Short-Term Anti-Crisis Measures

Minister of Finance Simeon Dyankov announced at a press-conference after the session of the Council of Ministers, that the government reviewed a number of short-term measures for reviving Bulgarian economy, BNR reported.

The agenda also included all 32 measures, approved by the National Council for Trilateral Cooperation. The short-term anti-crisis measures amount to 82 and they will remain "open" for proposals from representatives of parliamentary groups, Dyankov said.

The measures will be adopted by the government during its next session. Dyankov added that the measured had been sent to the parliament. The short-term measures cover a period of 9 months. For the following period measures have been developed concerning the management agenda of the cabinet. The plan will be presented in a couple of weeks, the minister explained.

The short-term measures have eight parts. The "Sustainability of the Macro-economic System" section includes measures, supporting a balanced budget and promoting the actions for Bulgaria's accession in the ERM 2 mechanism.

The "Sustainability of Financial System" section foresees a 15 percent reduction of inefficient expenditures in state budget structures, maintaining of the single VAT rate of 20 percent and providing mutual access to the information systems of National Revenue Agency and of National Customs Agency.

The third section of the measures has to do with improving business environment, and the forth - with activating agricultural production, Dyankov said.

Other parts of the short-term measures relate to promoting employment and social aid, development of knowledge-based economy and effective management of EU funding.