site.btaLabour Minister Confirms Inspections of Nursing Homes Continue

Inspections of nursing homes across the country continue, confirmed Labour and Social Policy Minister Borislav Gutsanov on Bulgarian National Television on Saturday. His statement came in light of recent disclosures about appalling conditions in a nursing home in the village of Yagoda.

“Just on Wednesday and Thursday alone, 16 inspections were carried out,” Gutsanov said, adding that nearly 500 checks have been conducted in the past five months - compared to 904 for the entire year of 2024.

According to the Minister, of the 230 residents removed from nursing homes, only 38 have been taken in by their families. Bulgaria currently has around 15,000 places in care facilities for the elderly, with just under 5,000 of those in private homes. Gutsanov emphasized the need to create additional spaces to meet growing demand.

He also announced that renovations are underway at 81 state-run care homes, and a special meeting on the topic is expected to be convened by the Prime Minister.

Regarding the labor market, Gutsanov said that over BGN 1 billion will be invested through European programs over the next two years to support retraining and upskilling efforts aligned with the needs of the real economy.

The Minister also reminded that pensions will increase by 8.6% starting July 1. “I’m glad we managed to achieve this, fully aware that the increase is still not enough,” he said, noting the budgetary constraints.

Commenting on recent data from the National Revenue Agency showing rising prices across 14 categories of consumer goods, Gutsanov labeled the trend “brutal speculation” and stressed the need for action to curb it.

On the subject of political stability, Gutsanov said that after so many snap elections, forming a stable governing coalition was crucial and “party egos needed to be set aside.”