site.btaDeputy PM Zafirov: Bulgaria’s Public Administration Capacity Assessment Declines Again

Bulgaria’s administrative capacity has once again been rated lower than in previous years—this time by the administration itself, Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov announced on Monday. Speaking at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) here, Zafirov referenced findings from the 2024 Administrative Capacity Index report.

He noted that evaluations from Bulgaria’s socio-economic partners are even more critical, and one of the report's key conclusions attributes the decline to the ongoing political crisis and repeated election cycles. “The issue of administrative reform is as old as the world,” Zafirov said. “As head of the Council for Administrative Reform, it is my responsibility to assure the public, our partners, and the Bulgarian administration that this Government is committed to overcoming political instability and establishing long-term governance.”

Zafirov highlighted the Cabinet’s governance program with a 2029 horizon and an ambitious legislative agenda aiming to introduce over 55 bills by June. Planned amendments to the Administration Act will seek to improve integrity in senior executive positions through a new Code of Conduct and integrity checks.

Among key administrative priorities are reducing the burden on citizens and businesses, increasing internal e-government services, and enhancing cost efficiency in electronic governance and IT systems. This includes the implementation of an integrated financial information system and a full transition to electronic internal document circulation.

“My personal impression is that the State does not make full use of the scientific community’s capacity or research like this. One of my goals will be to improve communication in that direction,” he concluded.