21.04.2021
FOR OUR CHILDREN FOUNDATION WITH A NEW LONG-TERM CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
The For Our Children Foundation has announced the start of a new large-scale fundraising campaign entitled "A Hug for Our Children". The goal of the campaign, which will last until the end of 2021, is to raise public awareness on the extremely important topic of early childhood development, as well as to engage more individual donors in support of full care for children.
Today, over 33.3% of children in Bulgaria live at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and many parents cannot give their children a strong start in the first years of their lives. Our common responsibility is to mobilize all resources to improve their quality of life and care with timely and adequate support.
Because early childhood is one of the most important periods for the further development of the child, it requires optimal support for him and his family. Because 90% of a person's brain activity develops in the first years of his life, and investments in early childhood bring more than 10 times return on society.
Thoughts about our own daily lives, however, often take us away from the thoughts of others. We spend many hours at home, encounter different content on social networks… and do not stop pressing our favorite "Like" to let our friends know that we like something. Meanwhile, the "invisible" children are fighting for their better tomorrow.
If we want to achieve real change, pressing a button is not enough, it is important for each of us to take real action, to help someone in need. Because nothing can replace a real hug, real love or a helping hand.
Ambassadors of "For Our Children" during the campaign will be a number of native influencers and media. Among them are actors Aleks Aleksiev and Daria Simeonova, singer Orlin Pavlov, Antoinette Pepe and Filip Stoyanov. All partners will support the initiative free of charge by informing and motivating the followers to pay more attention to the need for full care in the first years of our life development.
For more than 29 years, the For Our Children Foundation has been supporting young children and their families, helping to improve the quality of life of thousands of children and their families.
Learn more about how to participate in the campaign here.
21.04.2021
THE AGENCY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ANNOUNCES A COMPETITION FOR FINANCING PROJECTS FOR STARTING AND DEVELOPING INDEPENDENT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The general conditions that people with disabilities must meet in order to apply for funding are:
- To be natural persons with permanent disabilities, with 50 and more than 50% certain reduced working capacity, according to a decision of the Territorial Expert Medical Commission/National Expert Medical Commission.
- Not to have a sole proprietorship, whether active or inactive, as well as not to participate as partner in other companies.
- The natural person - owner of the sole proprietorship, is obliged after performing the planned main activities to work actively only in it and in his interest.
The amount of the requested funding for one tender cannot exceed the amount of BGN 20,000, as own participation is not required.
The activities that can be implemented within the project are divided into two groups:
- the first group includes investment activities, the duration of which may not exceed 4 (four) months;
- the second group includes the activities to be performed after the completion of the investment ones. Their duration may not be less than 36 (thirty-six) months.
The funds are allocated to cover only investment costs such as: establishment of a new enterprise, construction and repair works, equipment of the created jobs, one of which must be owned by the owner of the enterprise, minimum start-up working capital, short-term training course for the owner.
More detailed information can be found in the Methodology for financing projects for starting and developing self-employment of people with disabilities, published on the website of the Agency for People with Disabilities, section Projects/Programs, Independent business.
More information:
o Deadline for submission of projects: 5.30 pm on 25.05.2021.
o Deadline for submission of projects: 5.30 pm on 25.05.2021.
o Deadline for submission of projects: 5.30 pm on 25.05.2021.
Immediately after the submission of the project proposal, each applicant is obliged to request from the APD an incoming number with which the project proposal is entered in the record keeping system, not later than the deadline for submission of project proposals.
Phones for reference: 02 931 80 95 or 02 832 90 73
21.04.2021
THE BUDGET OF THE MEASURE "KEEP ME" HAS BEEN INCREASED BY BGN 24.6 MILLION
The budget of the measure "Keep me" is increased by over BGN 24.6 million. The funds are under the REACT EU mechanism, granted through the Operational Program "Human Resources Development". With the increase, the total budget of the procedure amounts to more than BGN 74.6 million.
The funds will be used to support employees in companies that have directly ceased operations following anti-epidemic measures against the spread of COVID-19. The compensation shall be for a period of not more than 60 days within 2020 and not more than 90 days within 2021, when employees have taken unpaid leave due to pandemic restrictions to carry out the activities of their enterprises. The deadline for payment of compensation under the measure "Keep me" is June 30, 2021.
To date, more than 48,000 employees have been approved for compensation under the procedure. With the budget increase, their number is expected to reach 50,000.
21.04.2021
THE COLLECTION OF APPLICATIONS FOR HIRING YOUNG GRADUATES IN DISTRICT AND MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATIONS HAS STARTED
From April 22, 2021, the Employment Agency starts accepting applications from district and municipal administrations and Sofia regional mayoralties for the opening of a total of 370 new jobs for young people with higher education. The jobs are financed under the Career Start Program within the framework of the National Action Plan for Employment for 2021, by providing funds for salaries in the amount of BGN 800 and the additional salaries and social security contributions due on them.
Each municipal or district administration can apply for one job, and the municipal administrations in the district cities and regional mayoralties of Sofia Municipality - two vacancies for young graduates.
To participate in the Career Start Program, young people must be under the age of 29, have completed higher education and have no work experience in the acquired specialty. Within a 12-month employment contract, they will be able to gain their first internship, professional experience and skills in the acquired education, with which to start their career development.
In order to give a chance to the young people, the municipal or district administrations, as well as the regional mayoralties in Sofia in the period 22-28 April this year. may submit to the local directorate "Labor Office" an application for a vacancy, in which to indicate their requirements for education, profession, skills, competencies of the candidates, as well as to determine the manner and documents for application.
Young people who meet the conditions of the Program will be invited and directed by the labor office where they are registered to apply for jobs at a distance of up to 50 km from their place of residence. Every young person can apply for other jobs, and information about the announced jobs in the country can be obtained from any employment office or from the website of the Employment Agency. Employees working in a profession other than the acquired specialty can also apply for the jobs announced under the Program, for which purpose it is necessary to seek the assistance of the labor office at the place of residence.
By May 21, 2021, employers will make their final selection among the young people referred by the labor offices, and the ranked and approved candidates will start working in the first days of June.
Consulting Center - Berkovitsa recommends young people to get acquainted with the opportunities, terms and conditions of work under the Program "Career Start", which are published on the official website of the Employment Agency in the section "Career Start Program" at the following address: https://www.az.government.bg/pages/programa-start-na-karierata/.
In the same column after April 28, 2021 will be published the list of announced jobs in district and municipal administrations and regional town halls of Sofia Municipality.
Detailed and complete information can be found in all Labor Offices in the country, where those interested are provided with consultations and assistance for applying, participation, support for territorial and/or professional mobility and other additional services.
20.04.2021
JUMBO OPENS 11 NEW STORES IN ROMANIA
Greek toy retailer Jumbo will open at least 11 new stores in Romania over the next five years, expanding its network to 25 stores.
This year, the retailer aims to open a new 12,500-square-meter hypermarket in the southern city of Craiova and launch its online store, according to its 2020 financial report, quoted by SeeNews. For 2022, Jumbo has set a goal to open two new stores in Romania.
The company, which generates an annual turnover of 150m euros, reported a gross profit of 84.4m euros in Romania in 2020, up from 75.4m euros a year earlier.
Jumbo's sales in Romania represent about 24.51% of the group's turnover in 2020. The Romanian market generates 31.4% of the company's total profit before taxes, financial and investment results.
The company is investing 35m euros in its first warehouse in Romania, which covers an area of 75,000 square meters.
At the end of 2020, Jumbo had nearly 1,500 employees in 14 hypermarkets in Bucharest, Timisoara, Oradea, Arad, Ploiesti, Pitesti, Constanta, Suceava, Bacau, Braila and Brasov.
The company operates 80 stores in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania and two online stores in Greece and Cyprus at the end of 2020.
Continental is investing 300m euros in Romania
German carmaker Continental has invested 150m euros in Romania in 2020 and plans to invest the same amount this year.
Key investments last year included a new office building for the Timisoara R&D center and the completion of an extension to the Iasi office building, a Continental statement quoted SeeNews as saying.
In 2020, the company installed a new trigeneration system at its electronic components factory in Timisoara and upgraded equipment at its tire plant in the Romanian city. Funds have also been invested in the renovation of its engineering center and electronic components factory in Sibiu, as well as the ContiTech factories in Karei, Nadab and Timisoara.
Continental has over 20,000 employees in engineering centers and production facilities in Romania. They work in international teams on key trends in the automotive industry: connectivity, autonomous driving and electric mobility, using artificial intelligence and large databases.
All 5 divisions of the company are represented in Romania. Continental has 7 manufacturing plants and 4 engineering centers in Timisoara, Sibiu, Carey, Nadab, Brasov and Iasi. The German company is a partner in two joint ventures in Iasi and Slatina and has a tire distribution center in the capital, Bucharest.
Continental has more than 230,000 employees and is the fourth largest tire manufacturer in the world with tens of billions of euros in annual turnover. The company also manufactures braking systems, internal electronics, automotive safety, chassis drives and components, tachographs, tires and other parts for the automotive and transportation industries. Its customers are all major manufacturers of cars, trucks and buses.
Ford produces a new car in Romania every 67 seconds
Ford expects record daily car production at its plant in Romania this year, with only 67 seconds needed to produce each of the new cars.
More than 1,000 Puma and EcoSport vehicles will be assembled every day at the company's factory in Craiova. This means that a new car will come off the assembly line every 67 seconds, Ford Romania said in a statement quoted by SeeNews.
Ford's engine plant will also reach a new record of about 1,700 engines produced per day. The company is currently assembling three versions of the one-liter EcoBoost unit in Craiova.
From October 2019, Ford's Romanian factory is assembling two compact SUVs - Ford EcoSport and the new Ford Puma.
SUVs are still the fastest growing segment in Europe. A total of 5.9 million SUVs were registered in 2019, an increase of 10% compared to 5.4 million units registered in 2018, according to Ford.
The new Ford Puma is already available in all European markets where the company is present, and from the first half of this year the model, assembled in Craiova, will be exported to Australia - the first vehicle made in Romania to be sold in this market.
Ford has invested more than 1.5 billion euros in Craiova since 2008, reaching a total of 6,300 employees in the two factories - for car assembly and for engines.
About 3400 of the employees in question have been hired in the last 3 years to support the production of the new EcoSport and Puma models. As the production of both models is constantly increasing, the employees of the car assembly plant in Craiova for the first time worked in 3 shifts.
On February 26, 2021, Ford shut down production at its Craiova plant for eight days due to a shortage of semiconductors worldwide. "During the eight days that production has stopped, employees at Ford's Craiova plant will be paid according to agreements between the company and the unions, taking into account current legislation," said company spokeswoman Anna Maria Timis. in February, Labor Minister Raluca Turcan announced that Romanian carmaker Dacia, part of France's Groupe Renault, had stopped production for three days for the same reason.
19.04.2021
A "MAINTENANCE SALARY" IS OFFERED IN THE SEWING COMPANIES
This week Bulgaria is involved in a large-scale campaign to improve working conditions and pay in clothing companies.
It is part of an initiative by the International Organization of Industrial Workers around the world to mark eight years since the tragedy that toppled the Rana Plaza building in Bangladesh. Thousands of workers died and were injured then.
In Bulgaria, the sewing industry officially employs more than 80,000 people. They are severely affected by the covid crisis.
The campaign is entitled "Tailoring factories and tailoring workers need safe places to work," Tsvetelina Milchalieva, chairwoman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Light Industry at CITUB, told BNR.
"One of the direct dependencies in labor productivity is working conditions."
The covid crisis had a serious impact on the sewing industry. The main companies that place orders in Bulgaria are from Germany and France. "At the moment, they have stated that they may keep 30% of what they order as standard," the unionist said.
The federation insists on the introduction of the so-called "maintenance salary" in the sewing companies. "They have been on the minimum wage for years, and in many cases this is something that puts them below the poverty line."
Negotiations with employers for a branch contract for the garment industry with a focus on income are forthcoming.
15.04.2021
COMPETITION FOR EXTERNAL CONTROLLERS FOR THE FIRST LEVEL OF CONTROL OF PROJECTS UNDER THE TERRITORIAL COOPERATION PROGRAMS
The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works announces a competition for selection of external controllers and for their inclusion in databases for implementation of first level control (FLC) of Bulgarian partners in projects under the multinational programs for territorial cooperation and technical assistance under CBC INTERREG programs -IPP, the costs under the contracts for implementation of FLC under the cross-border cooperation programs INTERREG V-A Romania-Bulgaria 2014-2020 and INTERREG V-A Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020 for the period 2014 - 2020.
The full text of the announcement is published on the website of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works https://www.mrrb.bg in the Careers section.
The application deadline is May 17, 2021. The documents should be submitted in person or through a proxy in the building of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW), Directorate for Territorial Cooperation Management, Sofia, 17-19, St. St. Cyril and Methodius Street.
15.04.2021
GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO STARTED WORK IN MARCH
In March 2021, the number of unemployed who started work was 6,917 more than in February of the same year, reaching 25,147, according to the data from the administrative statistics of the Employment Agency, the Agency announced.
A total of 433 people are from the group of pensioners, students and employees, who have also found their new jobs through employment offices. Despite the restrictions and closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, labor demand increased during the month, according to the Employment Agency.
A total of 78 percent of those who started working in March are employed in the real economy, most of whom are employed in the manufacturing sector - 21.5 percent, followed by trade - 13.9 percent, hotels and restaurants – 10.5 percent, general government - 8.9 percent, agriculture, forestry and fisheries - 7 percent, construction - 5.4 percent, human health and social work - 4.5 percent, etc.
The data show that 5520 unemployed people from the risk groups were employed in subsidized jobs during the month - 801 under employment programs and measures and 4719 - under schemes of the Operational Program "Human Resources Development" (OP HRD). The "Employment for you" scheme under the HRD OP, which started in July 2020 as an anti-crisis measure, has provided employment to a total of 18,695 people, and only in March employment contracts were concluded with 4,067 new unemployed.
The administrative statistics of the Employment Agency report a decrease of 0.4 percent of the registered unemployment compared to the previous month. The decline on an annual basis is by 0.2 percentage points - from 6.7 percent in March 2020 to 6.5 percent at the end of March this year. The registered unemployed in the labor offices are 214,052, which is 11,229 less than in February and 6,020 less than in March 2020.
During the month, 25,179 new unemployed people were registered in the labor offices, which is 282 more than in February and 13,690 less than the number of newly registered in March 2020.
Another 687 people from the groups of jobseekers, students and retirees also registered with the Employment Agency during the month. In order to preserve employment, the anti-crisis measures for short-term employment support continue to work - the well-known "60/40" and the project "Short-term employment support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic" under the OP HRD.
In March, nearly 160,000 employees were supported under these measures. The Save Me measure, funded by the HRD OP and the React-EU financial mechanism, to support employees in forced unpaid leave imposed by the suspension of a number of economic activities in order to control the COVID-19 pandemic, provided funds during the month. 50,000 employees.
The demand for labor is growing, as the declared jobs on the primary labor market in March were 18,452 or 4,983 (37 percent) more than the previous month.
The largest share of vacancies in the real economy is in manufacturing (26.7 percent), followed by hotels and restaurants (13.9 percent), trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (10.5 percent), government (9.5 percent), rural, forestry and fisheries (9.1 percent) and administrative and support service activities (6.3 percent).
The most sought after professions during the month are:
- staff employed in the field of personal services;
- staff caring for people;
- drivers of motor vehicles and mobile equipment;
- machine operators of stationary machines and equipment;
- workers in the mining and processing industry;
- construction and transport, metallurgists;
- machine builders and related craftsmen;
- sellers, waste collection workers and related workers;
- installers, workers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries and others.
15.04.2021
OUR INCOMES ARE GROWING DESPITE THE PANDEMIC
In 2020, the average income per household member increases by more than 6%, while expenditures remain almost unchanged compared to 2019, according to data from the National Statistical Institute.
The total income per household member last year was BGN 7002, increasing by 6.2% compared to 2019, and for the last decade (2011-2020) the total income increased 1.9 times.
Real household incomes increased by 4.4% in 2020 compared to 2019, with the highest real income index in 2020 compared to 2011 - 165.9%.
Wage income increased compared to a year earlier by 5.3% to BGN 3,927 (a double increase compared to 2011), pension income increased compared to 2019 by 12% to BGN 2018 (an increase of 77% compared to 2011). 2011), income from self-employment increased by 3.1% to BGN 434 (by 50.7% compared to 2011), and income from other social transfers, unemployment benefits, family allowances for children and other social benefits and compensations) - by 5.2% to BGN 204.
In 2020, the largest share in the total income has the salary (56.1% compared to 56.6% in 2019), while the income from all social transfers forms 31.8% of the total income, as from the received social transfers with the highest share are the incomes from pensions - 28.8%.
Last year, Bulgarian households spent an average of BGN 6,220 per person, which is almost unchanged compared to 2019 and represents an increase of 1.8 times compared to 2011.
The funds spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages in 2020 are BGN 1872, or 2.1% more than in 2019, on clothing and footwear - BGN 188 (a decrease of 6.9% compared to a year earlier), while housing costs are BGN 1,121 (an increase of 5.1%).
Healthcare expenditures in 2020 increased by 0.5% to BGN 388, while BGN 700 were spent on transport and communications (a decrease of 4.1% compared to 2019).
The costs for leisure, cultural recreation and education marked a sharp drop from 22.4% to BGN 250, probably as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Expenditures for taxes and social security amount to BGN 860 and increase by 4.09% compared to 2019.
15.04.2021
AN IMPORTANT DEADLINE FOR TAXES IS COMING TO AN END
Today is the deadline for submitting a Declaration to determine the type and amount of advance payments for 2021. This was announced by the National Revenue Agency. As of this year, the procedure for declaring advance payments has been changed. This is done by submitting the declaration under Art. 87a and Art. 88 of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CITA).
The form is submitted by the persons subject to corporate tax under CITA, as well as by natural persons carrying out economic activity as traders within the meaning of the Commercial Law, including sole traders, and by natural persons registered as farmers who have chosen the income from their economic activity to be taxed with tax on the annual tax base under Art. 28 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA).
Declaration is not submitted by the persons, who are exempted from advance payments and have not chosen to make such according to art. 83, para. 3 of CITA. These are:
- persons whose net sales revenues for the year before the previous year (2019) do not exceed BGN 300,000;
- the newly established in 2020 and in 2021 taxable persons, with the exception of the newly established ones as a result of transformation under the Commercial Law.
A declaration is also submitted if the estimated tax financial result is negative or zero, but the person is obliged to make advance payments. The declaration is submitted only electronically (through the portal for electronic services of the revenue agency, accessible with an electronic signature).
The deadline for payment of the monthly advance payments for the corporate tax for January, February, March and April and of the quarterly advance payments for the first quarter for the corporate tax under CITA for 2021 expires on April 15.
The fastest and easiest payment to the budget, free of charge, is done through a virtual POS-terminal in the portal for electronic services of the NRA.
More information for filling in the declarations and for paying the due taxes can be obtained by the NRA clients on the information phone 0700 18 700 for the price of one call, on the website of the agency or in the offices of the revenue administration.
