Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev held a meeting with the expert mission of the International Monetary Fund, led by Fabian Bornhorst, during which the current political and economic situation in the country was discussed.
“The main and most important topics on the agenda are political stability, budget consolidation, as well as the efforts of the executive branch to save funds under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev.
“We are currently negotiating with the European Commission on the rules for receiving the money. Bulgaria has implemented reforms that are in line with the next payments,” he added.
When asked about the priorities of the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, Donchev noted that procedures are to be implemented in which the money reaches the business as quickly as possible, without the assessment taking months. Among the main topics is also attracting investors to Bulgaria. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that the investment process must be facilitated by reducing administrative obstacles and close cooperation with industrial zones for maximum speed in attracting investors. “Providing a qualified workforce is of utmost importance. Attracting young people to engineering and successfully retaining them in our country is a key part of increasing economic growth and focusing on industry,” said Donchev.
Regarding road infrastructure, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that there is a huge potential for the development of public-private partnership in the sector. The government will work hard to complete the construction of main transport corridors. He stated that Bulgaria’s full membership in Schengen will help the favorable development of business and the economy.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Innovation and Growth Martin Danovski, IMF Regional Resident Representative for Central and Eastern Europe Jeff Gottlieb, Senior Economist Vahram Stepanyan, Economist Giacomo Magistretti, and Economist of the IMF Country Office in Bulgaria Iglika Vasileva.
