site.btaNominee for Governor of National Social Security Institute Given a Hearing by Parliamentary Committee

Vesela Karaivanova-Nacheva, the only nominee for Governor of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), Thursday presented her concept for the Institute's development at a hearing by the parliamentary Labour and Social Policy Committee. She said the public mission of the NSSI is of exceptional importance and responsibility, noting that the Institute manages nearly BGN 28 billion, 12.5% of the GDP projected in the Spring Macroeconomic Forecast. She outlined the Institute's priorities for the coming years, with a strong focus on improving working conditions and expanding the range of electronic services available to citizens.

She was nominated to head the NSSI by GERB-UDF and BSP-United Left. She was NSSI Deputy Governor for four terms. Her last term expired on July 21, 2024.

Governor Ivaylo Ivanov's term expired on September 19, 2021.

Through the NSSI, the social security system guarantees monthly income protection for 2,055,000 pensioners, 60,000 unemployed people, 69,000 mothers and parents, and 233,000 people with temporary incapacity to work. Every year the NSSI's administrative and information systems process 322,000 applications for granting or recalculating pensions, 140,000 applications for unemployment benefits, and 3,635,000 documents related to sick leave compensation, the nominee said.

Other priorities highlighted by Karaivanova are the NSSI's ambition to be a desirable place for work and career development. Achieving high user satisfaction with the services provided by the Institute is another key priority. She also stressed the need for a systematic approach to the Institute's oversight and control activities.

As a significant challenge, she singled out the NSSI's responsibilities connected with the introduction of the euro. She confirmed that the Institute has successfully adapted its accounting and IT systems and registers. As of July 1, 2025, all pension recalculation decisions include amounts in euro, based on the fixed exchange rate of 1 euro = BGN 1.95583, Karaivanova said.

Another priority is joint action with institutions to prevent abuse in the awarding of disability pensions. The nominee stressed that the stability of the NSSI depends on maintaining the central role of the public social security system and ensuring the implementation of the Roadmap for Improving the Pension System in Bulgaria.