The first payments under the recovery and resilience plan are expected in the autumn, caretaker Minister for EU Funds Atanas Pekanov said in an interview with Nova TV. The sum will amount to EUR 1.3 billion and Bulgaria will request it by the end of August, and within two months the European Commission will answer whether it will allocate the money.  Minister Pekanov stated that for there to be subsequent payments, the new parliament will have to approve 22 laws by the end of 2022.

In the next five years close to EUR 1.5 billion will be invested in the development of Bulgarian businesses under the new programme Competitiveness and Innovation in Enterprises. The monmey will go to help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises introduce new technologies and innovations, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth says.