Funding has been secured for the European programs “Care at Home” and “Hot Meal”, which expired at the end of last year, Bulgaria’s Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov told the Bulgarian National Radio. “We managed to ensure that no vulnerable group in society suffers—and we did it without raising any taxes”, Minister Gitsanov said. Around 20,000 people living on the brink of survival rely on the “Hot Meal” program.

The food and essential goods distribution program will be funded again after a delay of more than a year, Borislav Gutsanov said. In his words, the distribution of essential goods is expected to begin in about two months.

“The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy is on track not to lose a single lev under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which totals nearly BGN 1.3 billion (EUR 664 million)”, Minister Gutsanov added. He emphasized that the country’s national goal should be to tackle the demographic crisis.