site.btaBCCI President Warns of Risks if State Budget Is Tabled in Parliament without Approval of Tripartite Council

Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) President Tsvetan Simeonov warned that submitting the 2026 draft State Budget in Parliament without the approval of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTC) would have an adverse effect within the European Union and would place the full responsibility for its difficult implementation on the institutions.

Speaking Thursday at a discussion forum on global transformation and Bulgaria’s position in the new economic environment, organized by the BCCI’s Council of Branch Organizations, Simeonov criticized the delay in the budget discussions and said that the social dialogue had been rendered meaningless since the proposals of social partners were not being taken into account.

He stressed that the way the draft budget was presented had forced one side of the social partners to communicate with the government through the media, as it had become clear that none of the proposals made would be reflected in the final version, regardless of negotiations. “Under such circumstances, social dialogue loses its meaning,” Simeonov said.

On the topic of economic competitiveness, the BCCI President said that Bulgaria must first and foremost catch up with its competitors within the European Union. “We have no alternative but to do so,” he added.