02.02.2021
Guidelines for applying for grants to tour operators and travel agents have been published
The Ministry of Tourism (MT) has published "Guidelines for Applying for Grants to Tour Operators and Travel Agents to Compensate for Losses from the Covid-19 Outbreak".
The measure represents state aid in the form of direct grants, with a total estimated budget of BGN 51 million, which will be provided to persons performing tour operator and travel agency activities according to Art. 26a of the Law on Measures and Actions during the State of Emergency, declared by a decision of the National Assembly of March 13, 2020 and for overcoming the consequences.
The amount of one-time grants is 4% of their turnover excluding VAT in 2019, disclosed in the financial statements under the Accounting Act, and the assistance provided is to compensate for losses of tour operators and travel agents for the period from 01.03.2020 to 31.12.2020.
The aid must be used as a matter of priority to reimburse passengers whose packages have been canceled due to Covid-19 for the same period.
Eligible applicants are companies operating as tour operators or travel agents, registered in accordance with Section I, Chapter Seven of the Tourism Act and entered in the National Tourist Register, which at the time of submitting the application for assistance have a valid insurance "Liability of the tour operator" in accordance with Art. 97 of the Tourism Act.
This measure is part of a comprehensive package of measures and aims to counteract the liquidity shortages faced by businesses due to Covid-19. The administrator of the measure is the Ministry of Tourism.
The submission of applications for state aid is done electronically by filling in a web-based application form and accompanying documents through the National Investment Management System (NIMS), through the module "E-application", at the following Internet address: https://enims.egov.bg.
The manual for working with the NIMS system is available at the following address: https://enims.egov.bg/.
A scheme for providing financial assistance with one application deadline will be applied.
In order to pay the aid in a timely manner to reimburse priority costs incurred by customers who have refused vouchers, as well as to cover the costs incurred during the period for the main activity, it is recommended that applications be submitted within 14 days of the opening of the procedure.
Under this scheme, applicants may submit only one application for support. In case one applicant has submitted more than one application for support, only the first application received will be considered.
The full package of documents can be found at the following link.
MT also opens an information telephone line where tour operators and travel agents can ask their questions about the following funding schemes implemented by the agency:
On the telephone number +359 882 29 11 13, from Monday to Friday, within the working hours (from 9:00 to 17:30), information can be obtained from an expert from MT. He will register the call and provide assistance on a specific issue or problem related to the subject of the funding schemes mentioned above. If it is not possible to react at the moment, the expert will be committed to urgently forward the message to the relevant expert relevant to the topic.
The reason for opening the telephone line is the frequent inquiries about the indicated application schemes - documents, application and reporting procedures, financing, etc.
01.02.2021
IN 2020, 163 PEOPLE WITH VISUAL PROBLEMS WERE SUPPORTED WITH OVER BGN 230,000
In 2020, 163 people with visual problems were assisted, and the allocated financial resources for this purpose amounted to BGN 237,973. This year, the Social Protection Fund of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy will continue to provide assistance for the purchase of aids to compensate for visual deficits, such as a reader with software, laptop, screen reader, dictaphone/player for the blind and electronic video magnifier.
One of the next tasks of the SPF is to provide funding for a modern Bulgarian-speaking synthesizer for the visually impaired. It is extremely important for information and communication technologies - a powerful tool that enables different people to participate in the information society.
01.02.2021
IMPORTANT WHEN APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR MAINTAINING EMPLOYMENT
The Employment Agency draws the attention of all employers and their employees applying for the various financial incentives to maintain employment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that in order to process their documents in a timely manner and pay out funds, it is essential of them information to be complete and correct.
The most common mistakes in applying, leading to delays in processing the documentation, as well as the leading reasons for disapproval, are published on the website of the Employment Agency:
- Under the project “Save me” (Decree of the Council of Ministers № 325/2020, amended and supplemented with Decision of the Council of Ministers № 418/2020)
- Under the project “Short-term employment support in response to the COVID-19 pandemic” (Decision of the Council of Ministers № 429/2020, amended by Decision of the Council of Ministers № 982/2020)
- Under the measure “60/40” (Decree of the Council of Ministers № 151/2020, amended with Decree of the Council of Ministers № 416/2020)
The Employment Agency continues to work with full commitment to meet the needs of its clients and appeals to applicants for financial assistance from the state for timely assistance in the period of seeking and receiving support.
01.02.2021
The state will pay for the education of students working in Bulgarian companies
The state will cover the training costs of students who have a contract with a Bulgarian company to provide an internship against a commitment to work for the student after graduation, and the remuneration that young professionals will receive will be above average for the company.
The proposal was approved with the latest amendments to the Higher Education Act. With the official promulgation last week of the Ordinance on the terms and conditions for ensuring the payment of tuition fees for students with contracts with an employer, the measure was launched. One of the main objectives of the ordinance is to meet the need to strengthen the link between higher education and the needs of the economy and society by stimulating training in important specialties for the development of the country, where there is a shortage of highly qualified personnel.
The promulgated document regulates the terms and conditions under which the contracts with students and higher education institutions will be applied for, concluded and terminated, for the full or partial refund of the budget for financing the education, as well as for the remuneration and the minimum term during which the student to work for the employer after graduation.
The Ministry of Education and Science expects employers' organizations at the national level to coordinate the process of collecting applications from companies that would like to be included in the list of companies that have the right to conclude contracts with students. It is envisaged that by May 31, 2021 the Minister of Education and Science will approve a List of specialties for the training of which funds are provided from the state budget for full or partial payment of tuition fees for higher education and the number of students.
Two months later (July 31, 2021) the Council of Ministers will adopt the List of employers who may enter into contracts with students under the ordinance. It will also indicate the specialties and the number of students for whom each employer has declared readiness to sign a contract.
29.01.2021
Watch out for fake job postings
Fraudsters collect personal data through fake job postings. On behalf of established employers, they offered attractive conditions, and the supposedly approved candidates were required to take an ID card photo and even a selfie with the document in hand, Nova TV reports.
The fraud was reported by dozens of candidates who came across attractive offers on job posting platforms. The victims are attracted with offers with good remunerations and the names of established companies are used illegally. However, in order to get the desired job, candidates are referred to external sites that require personal and banking information.
"Office assistant in a logistics company. Salary: BGN 1500-2000. No experience”. The attractive offer attracts Mariela Neycheva to a job posting site after the pandemic leaves her at home. The requirements for the candidates are relatively low - completed secondary education, communication and long-term intentions. And English is an advantage, it is clear from the ad on the Internet. Mariela decides to apply.
“The salary was also indicated. They said from 1500 to 2000 BGN net. This seemed to grab me the most and I applied. A few days later I received an email that I was approved and an interview follows, which is in 3 steps”, says Mariela Neycheva, a victim user.
She receives instructions by e-mail from the future employer. In order to get the desired job from the classified site, the "approved" candidates were referred to an external site to register.
There from the company wanted a cover letter, names and even a copy of the ID card. The purpose was to draw up the documents under the contract. And the candidates had only 30 minutes in which the link was active, it is clear from Mariela's correspondence with the employer.
"The next day they sent me the link to the site in question. I entered the site - I had to register there. I wrote down my three names, where I'm from, phone number and a photo, respectively. I had to make an identification that it was me: Mariela's face - with a photo on her ID card", says the victim.
The future employer even had special requirements for the shape and size of the photos sent. The correspondence was conducted from different e-mail addresses, some containing the name of the company and others not.
28.01.2021
NEARLY 15,000 UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE WILL START WORK UNDER THE NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT ACTION PLAN IN 2021
Nearly 15,000 unemployed will start working, provided for in the National Action Plan for Employment in 2021, and 11,599 people will be included in training programs and measures to become more competitive in the labor market. The document was approved at today's government meeting.
The planned number of subsidized jobs will increase by 12.2% compared to 2020. In addition, funds are provided for training in key competencies per 1,000 employees in medium, small and micro enterprises.
The financing of the planned activities will be within the state budget in the amount of BGN 83 million.
As a result of the implementation of the set actions, programs, projects and measures in 2021, the unemployment rate is expected to be 5.2%.
The salaries of those included in subsidized employment will be in line with the minimum wage in the country, which from the beginning of 2021 is BGN 650 full-time.
The subsidy of the funds is also increased from BGN 500 to BGN 550 per month under measures of the Employment Promotion Act, and when hiring unemployed people with higher education the amount will be BGN 630, as well as the due insurances. The rest will be provided by the employer.
The salaries of the young people included in the Career Start program increase from BGN 700 to BGN 800, to the mediators to the municipalities - from BGN 730 to BGN 830, to the psychologists - from BGN 750 to BGN 950, to the managers per case - from BGN 750 to BGN 900, to Roma mediators with secondary education - from BGN 650 to BGN 750, and to those with higher education - from BGN 700 to BGN 800 under the program “Activation of inactive persons“. The funds for a mentor are increased - from BGN 180 to BGN 200.
The amount of funds for training of unemployed persons for acquiring first, second and third degree of professional qualification and for training for acquiring qualification in part of a profession is also increasing.
Under the regional employment programs of the 28 districts, 2,500 unemployed people are expected to start working in 2021. The project "Beautiful Bulgaria" will provide employment for 230 people, and the two-year training plan conducted by the state enterprise "Bulgarian-German Center for Vocational Training" will train 2,800 people from different disadvantaged groups on the labor market.
Another 6,859 unemployed will participate in trainings for the acquisition of key competencies and professional qualification in occupations in demand on the labor market on projects implemented by the social partners.
The funds for transport costs are also increased to 20% of the remuneration for subsidized employment (up to BGN 130).
27.01.2021
WHAT ARE THE HOLIDAYS IN 2021?
In 2021, we will rest a total of 116 days, of which 104 fall on weekends and 12 are public holidays.
We will work at least in May - only 17 days, and 22 are the working days in March, June, August and November.
Here is a list of official holidays and non-working days in Bulgaria in 2021.
Employers are obliged to allow employees who practice a religion other than the Eastern Orthodox one to use part of the annual paid leave or unpaid leave for the days of the respective religious holidays, but not more than the number of days for the Eastern Orthodox religious holidays. The days for the religious holidays of the denominations, other than the Eastern Orthodox one, are determined by the Council of Ministers on the proposal of the official leadership of the respective denomination.
27.01.2021
The NRA transferred the first money to closed companies
2,223 companies received payments under the working capital support program in the amount of BGN 22.2 million less than 168 hours after the deadline for submission of project proposals.
These companies have passed an automated software inspection, which shows full compliance of the data specified in the applications with those available in the NRA.
By the end of the week, the companies that submitted applications during the past week, for which, after an automated inspection, there is full compliance with the data, will be approved for support, added the NRA.
A list of the candidates approved so far is contained in an order of the Executive Director of the National Revenue Agency - https://nap.bg/page?id=799, available on the website of the Revenue Agency. The companies to be approved for support will be included in a new order by the end of the week.
The other companies that have applied for financial assistance, which are not included in the orders, are subject to additional inspections by the revenue inspectors in the NRA, and if necessary they will be asked for additional clarifications through the UMIS system by e-mail.
More than 8,100 traders applied for working capital support through the National Revenue Agency by 4.30 pm on January 20, when the application deadline expired. The total amount of the requested support is BGN 115 million, reminded by the National Revenue Agency.
27.01.2021
How to pay our health contributions if we do not work
From January 1, 2021, people who pay their mandatory health contributions themselves (for example, the long-term unemployed, who do not receive unemployment benefits and are not insured by the state, etc.) and are not registered as self-insured persons within the meaning of the Social Security Code insurance, they owe BGN 26 per month.
The change is related to the increase of the minimum insurance income from the beginning of this year, which is already BGN 650. According to the Health Insurance Act, the uninsured on other grounds are insured on income not less than half of the minimum monthly income for self-insured persons. . Thus, the health insurance contribution for them is calculated at the rate of 8% on not less than BGN 325 and not more than BGN 3000 per month.
Consultancy Center - Berkovitsa reminds that the deadline for payment of these contributions is the 25th of the month following the month to which they relate. The health contribution for the month of January 2021 must be paid no later than February 25, 2021. All those for whom there is an obligation to pay their own health insurance contributions shall submit to the NRA a declaration Form 7.
It is submitted electronically with a personal identification code /PIC/ to the NRA or QES through the portal for electronic services or in the office of the Revenue Agency at a permanent address, by the 25th day of the month following the month for which the obligation for payment of health insurance contributions. The sanction for failure to submit this declaration is from BGN 500 to BGN 1,000.
The health insurance rights of the citizens, which are insured at their own expense, are terminated if no more than three due monthly installments have been paid for a period of 36 months. The period is counted until the beginning of the month preceding the month in which the person seeks medical care paid for by the National Health Insurance Fund.
The suspended health insurance rights of the citizens are restored on condition that they pay all due health insurance contributions for the last 60 months. The rights are restored from the date of payment of all due health insurance contributions for this period.
Citizens can inquire about their health insurance status, as well as check the periods for which they lack health insurance contributions, through the electronic service of the NRA at www.nap.bg.
The clients of the administration can also make an inquiry about the health status by phone: 0700 18 700 (at a price according to the tariff of the respective operator). The service is automatic and requires only entering a PIN via the phone keypad. In addition, the system provides data for all months and years for which the compulsory health insurance contributions have not been paid. The health status certificate works by phone 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
27.01.2021
For entrepreneurs
The Fund of Funds has signed a contract with the team that will manage the Mezzanine / Growth Fund - Silverline Partners
The Fund of Funds (FF) signed a contract with the selected financial intermediary for the implementation of the Mezzanine/Growth Fund. This is the last instrument from the FF portfolio for equity and quasi-equity investments, as such it is made for the first time in Bulgaria with public resources. The funds for it are provided under the Operational Program "Innovation and Competitiveness" 2014-2020, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
The resource will be managed by Silverline Partners Ltd. This is the name under which the Bulgarian Mezzanine Partners Association DZZD, selected as a contractor in the procedure for selection of a financial intermediary, will operate. Its partners are: Evgeni Angelov, Diana Aladzhova, Ivan Hristanov, Loid Schultz and River Styx Capital EAD.
The key persons of the selected fund manager have gained significant experience in the management of alternative investment funds supporting companies in Bulgaria, Central, Eastern Europe and others. Along with the implementation of equity instruments, the team has expertise in providing mezzanine financing, which will be an essential part of the portfolio of the newly established fund.
The mezzanine is a form of hybrid investment that falls between capital and debt financing. In the general case, it enables companies to attract risky financing, without necessarily leading to the transfer of a significant share in their ownership to the new investor.
Silverline Partners will manage BGN 83.7 million, of which BGN 75.3 million are public funds provided by the main investor Fund of Funds. In addition, private capital will be attracted at the fund level, as well as in the implementation of each transaction.
The fund will support at least 10 small and medium enterprises with investments ranging between BGN 4.9 million to BGN 13.7 million, and at least half of the resource will be invested in the form of mezzanine financing.
The purpose of the instrument is to support the development of the competitiveness of Bulgarian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in a mature stage of development. It will provide access to alternative financing for those who have the potential for growth and are looking for opportunities to expand their activities by entering new markets or developing new products and services.
With the Mezzanine/Growth Fund, there are five working funds for alternative investments financed by the FF. Until now, such a tool has not been available on the market and its implementation will provide the necessary resources to cover the entire life cycle of a company's development - from the idea for it, during the initial stage to its mature phase.
After signing the contract, the intermediary is expected to make its first investments in the summer of this year.
On the occasion of the signing, Vladimir Danailov, Executive Director and Member of the Management Board of the Fund of Funds, expressed his joy at the professional work done and shared the following: "I am happy that Bulgarian business will now be able to take advantage of a financial instrument for growth. we need it. Through it and other financial instruments, we stimulate a new way for the Bulgarian economy to be competitive - mostly through globally oriented companies."
"In Bulgaria there are proven entrepreneurs with integrity and companies with regional and global potential. We want to work with them and contribute to their success," said Evgeni Angelov, managing partner of Silverline Partners.
