The measures aimed at reducing administrative burden on the citizens and the local business will soon yield the necessary results, Bulgaria’s Minister of Economy Emil Karanikolov told the Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday. The analysis of the opportunities for reduction of the administrative burden and higher transparency has been made since the first working day of the current Bulgarian cabinet, Minister Karanikolov made it clear.

I can assure you that we have registered a substantial progress in that field, because we have engagement towards the cabinet, the business and the National Assembly Committee on EconomicPolicy that by June 15 the analysis will be fully completed and will be at their disposal, Emil Karanikolov went on to say. Bulgaria’s cabinet and the Ministry of Economy have been making analyses of the administrative burden both on state and municipal level. The Ministry of Economy is making efforts to optimize the time for provision of administrative services. We have been making analysis of the taxes paid for those services, Mr Karanikolov further told Horizont channel. Those taxes should only cover the expense made for a given administrative service and no profit should be calculated in that tax. The positive results will be felt by the citizens and the business very soon, Minister Karanikolov assured. In his view Bulgaria does not need to take new loans at present. However, the country should fight successfully smuggling and other criminal activities. 

We must fulfill two measures, in order to catch up with the countries that place in the middle of the EU economic rankings. Firstly, we should boost the competitiveness of our economy. Secondly, we must support the small and medium-sized enterprises which are the backbone of the country’s economy. We have already held a series of meetings with ambassadors, as well as with local and foreign representatives of the business. We have been looking actively for new markets and new investors. 8%-9% increase of the average salary on an annual basis is quite realistic. That is why we have been working together with the business to achieve those goals, Emil Karanikolov contends.