03.02.2021

The support for the affected business amounts to BGN 2 billion

The Minister of Economy Lachezar Borisov told journalists that according to the Ministries of Economy and Social Affairs, the intervention in support of business due to the coronary crisis is worth about BGN 1.6 billion.

Another BGN 400 million are underway - agreed, promised, it is a matter of work, added the Minister, who presented to the members of the relevant parliamentary committee the implementation of programs to support Bulgarian business to overcome the economic consequences of the pandemic.

The total intervention of the two ministries, not to mention the work done through the central budget, is BGN 2 billion, the minister specified.

He announced that under one of the procedures the business is expected to present its reports and receive the funds, under another procedure contracts have been signed, but it is an investment and under it the companies must present completed investment activity and will receive the funds immediately. The NRA is working quickly, now funds are being paid according to the reserve list of micro-enterprises, the minister added.

In the last ten days alone, what has reached the business is BGN 60 million, the minister said.

He reminded that last year for all anti-epidemic and anti-crisis measures the funds through the central budget were worth BGN 2.8 billion, and this year - about BGN 3 billion. According to him, the measures have had an effect because they maintain some of the lowest unemployment rates in the EU and now, according to the Employment Agency, it is 7 percent, and in Spain - over 16 percent, with 40 percent youth unemployment.

In addition, our country ends 2020 with very good financial and macroeconomic indicators, the Minister added, recalling that our country had the most liberal anti-epidemic measures in Europe, which was also in support of business. We are ending the year, perhaps among the few EU countries that have maintained their consumption as a factor of economic growth, the minister said.

In response to a question, the Minister said that the payment through the National Revenue Agency is going to the businesses that are closed due to the anti-epidemic measures, and added that according to the Minister of Social Affairs everything for the missed months has already been paid under the measure "BGN 24".

The minister said that at the end of last week he had a meeting with the representatives of the restaurant industry. We agreed that if the measures continue in terms of their anti-epidemic part, we will continue the economic measures, said the Minister and added that as Minister of Economy he believes that the faster the business starts, the better, but there should be and balance with human health.

The Minister informed that he had forwarded to the Minister of Health the letter with the requests of the Inter Expo Center for clarity about the work of this branch in the spring.

In response to a question, the Minister said that a meeting with employers' organizations is expected tomorrow, most likely online, and among the topics discussed will be the measures that will be applied to business with funds from the EC Initiative - REACT-EU.