site.btaLabour Minister Praises Public Social Insurance Budget Bill for Its Social Focus

Speaking at a news briefing after a meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation on Monday, Labor and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov said that the Public Social Insurance Budget Bill had been unanimously approved, which speaks to its social focus. "We have shown that 'dialogue' is the key word," Gutsanov added. Earlier in the day, the members of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation discussed the National Health Insurance Fund Budget Bill, the Public Social Insurance Budget Bill, and the State Budget Bill for 2026.

Gutsanov noted that the draft budget increases the maternity allowances for the second year of childcare leave from BGN 780 to BGN 900, and sets next year’s minimum wage at EUR 620.20. He argued that raising the minimum wage is necessary, as Bulgaria remains at the bottom of the European Union in this regard, ahead only of Hungary. The so-called Swiss rule for pension indexation will be retained to protect the most vulnerable groups, he added.

As to the public administration, Gutsanov said that employees should not be treated as a single category. In the social sector, the average salary is around BGN 2,000, which he said is not excessive. While acknowledging that some individuals receive disproportionately high salaries, the Minister said discussions will continue in the coming months on how to prevent such anomalies.