site.btaCITUB, Podkrepa Labour Confederation Discuss Sofia's 2023 Draft Budget with Mayor Fandakova

The leadership of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) discussed the parameters of the draft budget of Sofia Municipality for 2023 with Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, Deputy Mayor for Finance and Health Doncho Barbalov. On behalf of the trade union, the meeting was attended by the CITUB President Plamen Dimitrov and presidents and representatives of the main members of the confederation. The Confederation of Podkrepa Confederation of Labour also took part in the discussion, which took place in Sofia Municipality.

Expenditure on state-delegated functions was also a topic of discussion. The trade unionists were assured that salary increases were included. Fandakova stressed on the serious increase in the budget for culture and said that a "tangible increase" is expected in salaries for artists and all those working in municipal cultural institutes. The Mayor said further meetings with representatives in this field were forthcoming.

With regard to the transport sector, Fandakova and Barbalov pointed out that over 60% of the budgeted resources are allocated for salaries, which are also expected to grow. The lack of staff was one of the problems discussed in the transport sector of the capital.

In the words of the Deputy Mayor, most of the prevailing sectors in Sofia - services, culture, IT, have recovered after the COVID-19 crisis, with the hotel and restaurant sector being the only laggards. Barbalov pointed out that there are also significantly more foreign investments in Sofia compared to the rest of Bulgaria. The CITUB expressed their concern over the trend that a slight ageing of Sofia's population has been registered, "although the demographic picture is better than in other municipalities".

A few days ago Mayor Yordanka Fandakova announced that the draft budget of Sofia Municipality for 2023 is BGN 2,555,000,000. She commented that the financial stability of the municipality is preserved, which was evidenced by the preserved credit rating of the municipality, equal to that of the state, as well as the unaccepted decrease in the capital programme.