site.btaBudget Committee to Debate 2026 State Budget at First Reading

Parliament's Budget and Finance Committee is scheduled to debate at first reading on Tuesday the draft 2026 State Budget Act, the Public Social Insurance (PSI) Budget Act and the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) Budget Act.

The three bills, submitted by the Council of Ministers last week, would form Bulgaria's first regular budget since the country's accession to the euro area, replacing the current budget extension framework in force since the beginning of the year.

The draft State Budget projects a consolidated fiscal programme deficit of 5.7% of GDP, with revenue, grants and donations amounting to EUR 49.6 billion and expenditure set at EUR 56.8 billion. It does not provide for automatic pay increases and includes higher excise duties on tobacco products and increased gambling tax revenue.

The draft PSI budget earmarks EUR 13.5 billion for pensions and supplements. It envisages raising the minimum old-age pension from EUR 322.37 to EUR 347.51 and introducing personal social security contributions for civil servants and judicial employees from August 1.

The draft NHIF budget provides for revenue and transfers of EUR 5.25 billion, with planned expenditure of EUR 5.26 billion, up 8.5% compared with the 2025 budget.