24.01.2023
MINISTRY OF INNOVATION AND GROWTH: IN FEBRUARY, WE OPEN THE PROCEDURE FOR RES AND LOCAL ENERGY STORAGE FOR BGN 200 MILLION
In February, the application under the "RES and batteries for local energy storage" procedure, worth BGN 200 million, will start. It is the third that the Ministry of Innovation and Growth opens under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. This was made clear by Maria Mladenova, head of the "Project Selection and Negotiation" department at the General Directorate of "European Competitiveness Funds" in the ministry.
The public discussion of the procedure was announced on December 12 and ended a month later - on January 12. The companies' application will last for three months. The measure is for the construction of a photovoltaic system - so-called solar panels, to be installed on the roof of the given enterprise, its facade or on the terrain on which it is located. Batteries for local energy storage will be able to store it for up to several days, and the energy itself will be produced solely and only for own use, without being able to be resold and returned to the country's energy system.
In addition to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, but also those employing up to 499 persons or up to 1,500 persons will be able to apply under the procedure. "We expect that the interest in the "RES and batteries for local energy storage" procedure will be even greater than that in the two already completed procedures in the ministry," said Maria Mladenova. According to her, to date, under the two announced procedures, over 10,200 projects have been received in just 5 months.
Over 2,500 project proposals have been received under the first - "Technological modernization", and over 7,700 projects under the second - "ICT solutions and cyber security". "There is serious interest on the part of companies in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, apart from Sofia, there is also Plovdiv, Varna and Ruse. We hope that the other districts will also become more and more active," Mladenova said. She pointed out that the application under the procedures of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and those of the EU structural funds is entirely online through the ISUN 2020 system, which is as easy as possible for businesses. On December 30, the first winning projects were announced - 953 projects, which will receive funding for BGN 260 million from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the "Technological Modernization" procedure. At the moment, nearly 7,700 submitted projects under the second measure "ICT solutions and cyber security" worth BGN 30.6 million are also being evaluated. It is expected that the winners will be announced soon.
Under the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, seven procedures for BGN 1.2 billion will be open for applications in the first half of 2023 alone, and a total of 10 business measures will be launched by the end of the year. Support for micro, small and medium-sized companies in the country will be in three directions - the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the new competitiveness program and the new program for scientific research, innovation and digitalization. We would like to remind you that both European programs of the Ministry were approved in a record short period of time. The "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" program 2021-2027 with a budget of BGN 3 billion was sent to Brussels on August 16 and approved by the European Commission on October 3.
Program "Research, innovation and digitization for intelligent transformation" 2021-2027 with a budget of BGN 2.14 billion - sent on October 26 and approved on December 5. The first procedures that will be launched under the new program for competitiveness and innovation in enterprises are "Development of innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises" for BGN 127 million in March and "Implementation of innovations in SMEs" for over BGN 293 million. in April. On the initiative of the Minister of Innovation and Growth and with the active assistance of the team of Deputy Prime Minister Pekanov, information was collected and summarized from other ministries (Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Education and Science) about the procedures under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan among them, which has been sent to all regional governors in the country.
23.01.2023
WE MAY CHANGE OUR TYPE OF INSURANCE BY THE END OF THE MONTH
Self-insured persons can change the type of insurance until January 31, the National Revenue Agency reminds. Self-insured persons are necessarily insured in the "Pensions" fund of the state social insurance (DOO), and they can also be insured in the "General illness and maternity" fund at their choice.
Self-insured persons who choose to make insurance contributions also to the "General illness and maternity" fund can benefit from all insured social risks (excluding occupational accidents and occupational diseases and unemployment) of the state social insurance DOO. The other option is to make insurance contributions at a lower rate only to the Pension Fund of the the state social insurance (for disability due to general illness, old age and death).
In this case, however, the self-insured do not have the right to cash benefits for temporary incapacity due to general illness, pregnancy and childbirth, for raising a child up to 2 years of age, for raising a child up to 8 years of age from the father (adoptive), etc. , paid by the state social insurance, the NRA reminds.
The type of insurance for self-insured persons can be changed for each calendar year, if a declaration is submitted according to a form approved by the executive director of the NRA. The deadline for submitting the document is January 31 of the respective year. The declaration is submitted in an office of the National Revenue Agency or through the e-services of the revenue agency with a personal identification code or a qualified electronic signature.
In case of interruption and resumption of the relevant work activity, as well as when starting another work activity by the self-insured person during the calendar year, the already selected and declared type of insurance cannot be changed.
You can get more information and advice on filling out tax and insurance declarations by phone: 0700 18 700 or 02 9859 6801 (at a price according to the telephone operator's tariff).
23.01.2023
THE MINISTRY OF INNOVATION AND GROWTH OPENS 7 PROCEDURES TO SUPPORT BUSINESS FOR BGN 1.2 BILLION IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2023
The Ministry of Innovation and Growth informs about the application procedures under the Recovery and Resilience Plan and EU structural funds.
On 30.12.2022, the Ministry published on its website the first 953 companies that will be financed under the first measure of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - "Technological Modernization" with a budget of BGN 260 million. It is for the renovation of the technological park of micro -, small and medium enterprises. By the end of January - the beginning of February, the Ministry of Innovation and Growth will publish the companies that have won funding and under the second measure of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan - "ICT solutions and cyber security", under which the assistance is free of charge and without financial participation from the companies.
"Alone through the Ministry, in the next six months we are opening for applications seven, and by the end of the year, three more procedures (ten in total) in three areas - the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the new Program "Competitiveness and Innovations in Enterprises" 2021-2027 and the new for Bulgaria Program "Research, innovation and digitalization for intelligent transformation" 2021 - 2027. This is a financial injection of over BGN 1.2 billion for the first six months and nearly BGN 2 billion by the end of 2023 for enterprises", commented Minister Pulev.
From his words, it is clear that in February one of the procedures most awaited by the business will be opened - "RES and batteries for local energy storage" (for companies) with a budget of BGN 200 million.
20.01.2023
SEE ALL VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE NORTHWEST
The Employment Agency publishes a complete list of all vacancies in the North West, advertised in the Labor Office directorates.
The biggest hunger for personnel is in the Vratsa region. 75 positions are offered on the job market, and there are both in production and trade, as well as in industry and administration.
In Montana, employees are being sought in 71 positions, and in Vidin the number of vacant positions is half that - only 38.
Vratsa
Montana
Vidin
20.01.2023
NEW YEAR, NEW CHANCE FOR REALIZATION! ENROLLMENT FOR A PROGRAMMING COURSE IN MONTANA HAS BEGUN
For the second year in a row, Montana Digital Society organizes a Java programming course for complete beginners. Registration for it is now open and will continue until February 3. Those interested can apply on the Digital Society website.
The course is suitable for both students and adults, without any experience in programming, who have decided to retrain and become part of one of the fastest growing fields. It is divided into three modules, in which the emphasis will be on practical activities and insight into the essence of the technology. Classes will be held twice a week at a time convenient for students and workers.
The knowledge and skills that the students will acquire during the training will enable anyone with sufficient desire and time to have a promising job with a motivating salary, and that too in Montana.
The best performers will have the chance to start an internship with a software company. Scholarships are also provided for motivated and excellent students.
The lecturer will be Stefani Senkova - one of the programmers from the first graduating class of Digital Society Montana. The training helped her realize her dream and she is currently working as a Java developer in a leading software company in the region.
The course is organized in partnership with the Vratsa Software Society. For seven years now, they have been offering training in programming and other digital professions, thanks to which hundreds have found their new careers and are developing successfully in the field of technology.
20.01.2023
HOW MANY WERE UNEMPLOYED IN OUR COUNTRY IN THE PAST YEAR
The registered unemployed in the labor offices throughout the country for the past year 2022 are 264,434, and those who have started work - 164,426 people.
This is indicated by the preliminary data from the specialized monitoring of the labor market of the National Statistical Institute and the Employment Agency. In the last week of last year, the newly registered unemployed were 1,488 people.
The observation of the labor market for last year shows the trends by area and by week for the period January 3, 2022 - January 1, 2023, and according to the latest data, the population of working age is slightly over 4 million and 106 thousand people.
Throughout the past year, there has been a tendency for the newly registered unemployed to outnumber those employed, with the only exception being the week from June 27 to July 3. At that time, those who found a living through the employment offices were a little over 10,000 people and were twice as many as registered.
The peak of those registered in the labor offices for the past year was 8,798 people - for the period from January 3 to 9. In total, in four weeks of 2022, newly registered people exceeded 8,000 people. The data show that for the last week of last year, from December 26 to January 1, 2023, 744 people entered the workforce, and the largest number of them - 64 - were in the Blagoevgrad region.
19.01.2023
WE ARE WORKING IN THE BLACK - WHAT CAN WE DO?
Workers and employees can check how likely it is that their work, or part of it, is undeclared, and get guidance on how to react if a risk of undeclared work is identified.
Employers can also check how well they are enforcing labor laws and address inconsistencies before being inspected on-site.
This is possible thanks to innovative software developed under the international project "Cooperation for decent work", financed by the Fund for Bilateral Relations under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014 - 2021.
The self-assessment tool is freely available on the website of the Executive Agency "Main Labor Inspection", which is a partner in the project, at https://www.gli.government.bg/udw/ A shortcut to it is also provided through the banner " Check if you are working undeclared".
The software is a questionnaire that assesses the risk of undeclared work in its various directions - work without an employment contract or under fictitious conditions, unregulated payments, are the lives and health of workers at risk, etc.
By filling out the questionnaire, the worker receives answers to the extent that his labor rights are respected, what the consequences would be for him of the alleged violations by his employer, as well as guidelines in which cases he has reason to seek assistance from the control authorities.
In order to perform the self-assessment, a questionnaire must be completed, which contains questions regarding general demographic information and assessed risks. There is an option to review the entered answers and then save them by pressing the "Save" button.
The rating page is activated after saving. It shows a recommendation after each question depending on the answer. At the bottom of the page is shown the overall rating and recommendations for it (with a "traffic light principle" background).
Specific individuals cannot be identified through the information collected.
The purpose of the data is to better inform workers and employees about the degree of individual risk of undertaking undeclared work, and in a processed form will serve to improve the information and control activities of the Executive Agency "Main Labor Inspectorate" with emphasis on dealing with undeclared work.
According to various studies and estimates, undeclared work in our country is about 30 percent. It is increasingly rare to find it in its purest form – work without any contract.
Most often, the forms of contracts with so-called fictitious clauses are already used - shorter working hours than actually worked or lower remuneration than actually received are agreed in writing. Thus, part of the money is given by hand, without taxes and insurance being paid on it.
Secondly, the practice of not paying overtime is applied, as well as the use of disguised employment contracts - that is, a civil contract is concluded in the presence of employment relationships, which also reduces the costs for both parties for taxes and insurance.
The labor inspectorate warns workers that when they do not agree in writing the real conditions under which they work, they lose their employment and insurance rights. If necessary, they also cannot prove the conditions under which they really worked and risk not being able to obtain protection from the control authorities or in court.
Employers, for their part, risk being sanctioned, and due to poor working conditions, they also lose qualified labor.
19.01.2023
NEW MEASURES ARE PROPOSED FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Employers to request training for persons from disadvantaged groups in the labor market (full-time or part-time) that they will hire, as well as to provide a mentor to help them acquire/restore work habits and adapt to the work process, provides a new measure to promote employment. It is included in changes to the Employment Promotion Act uploaded for public consultation.
"Disadvantaged groups" are unemployed with lower competitiveness on the labor market, which include: unemployed youth up to the age of 29 (inclusive); long-term unemployed persons; unemployed persons with permanent disabilities; parents (adoptive parents) with children up to 4 years of age; served a prison sentence; unemployed over the age of 55; people with primary or lower education, or without professional qualifications.
Another change envisages expanding the range of unemployed people who can be employed in "green jobs". The accelerated development of the green transition makes it necessary to provide access to "green jobs" to all the unemployed, and not only to those with a registration duration of more than 6 months, it is written in the reasons for the project.
At the same time, the cancellation of inefficient measures will enable more efficient planning, allocation and use of state budget funds provided for active labor market policy.
It is proposed to change the sanction for people whose participation in subsidized employment is terminated by disciplinary dismissal. Instead of a ban on registration at the labor office, it is proposed that the sanction be a ban on participating in state-funded employment or training. In this way, these people will not be excluded from jobseekers, they will be able to use employment services, which will be a prevention for moving into the group of the economically inactive, as well as for participation in undeclared employment.
In addition, it is envisaged that the unemployed who have started work in subsidized jobs will remain registered as jobseekers. In this way, they will continue to use employment services, which increases their chance of finding a permanent job.
It is planned to reduce the sanction from 6 to 3 months for the exclusion from the register of unemployed persons with terminated previous registration. According to the reasons, a 6-month period is an unreasonably heavy sanction and leads to the loss of the right to compensation and to the termination of access to services, which significantly distances individuals from the labor market and subsequently makes it difficult to activate them.
The opportunities for jobseekers to use the regulated mediation services for referral to appropriate programs and measures for employment and training, referral to adult education and referral to a procedure for validation of professional knowledge, skills and competences in all "Labour Office" Directorates in the country, regardless of the place of registration.
The requirement for employers applying for subsidies under employment promotion measures to hire unemployed persons in workplaces for positions for which they have not terminated employment with workers in the last three months is cancelled.
Amendments are proposed in connection with the registration of the persons carrying out intermediary activity in employment, as well as the registration of enterprises providing temporary work. The bill stipulates that the registration certificates will be signed by the Executive Director of the Employment Agency, instead of the Minister of Labor and Social Policy.
The right to provide funds for representative clothing to the employees of the Employment Agency and its territorial divisions under employment law is regulated, which will create equality in working conditions between employees performing the same work.
18.01.2023
RIGHTS DURING PREGNANCY AND MATERNITY
In addition to being a reason for joy, pregnancy is sometimes also a cause for concern about the workplace. If you are a pregnant and working woman, the important thing is not to be afraid to let your employer know about your pregnancy. In most cases, he does not have the right to terminate your employment contract, as every pregnant employee enjoys special protection under the Labor Code.
The correct way to notify your employer of your pregnancy is to present a medical document certifying the pregnancy. In this way, you will be able to benefit from all the additional rights and protections under the Labor Code that apply to pregnant women. It is important to know that a verbal notice or written on a freestyle flyer has no legal value and does not guarantee you the additional rights and protections.
In vitro, pregnancy and work
The employer has no right to assign you work that endangers or endangers the safety and health of you and your unborn child. A pregnant woman has the right to refuse to perform such work, without this leading to negative consequences for her, for example, dismissal. These are professions related to:
- the release of toxic chemical substances;
- vibrations, noise, ultrasound, electromagnetic waves or temperatures of the working environment above permissible hygiene standards;
- lifting and carrying weights over 5 kg;
- closed sources of ionizing radiation (throughout the period of pregnancy);
- causative agents of infections, parasitic and fungal diseases (e.g. in a morgue).
The employer is obliged to release you from work when you have to go for medical examinations. For the time you are under examination, he must pay you remuneration in the amount of the average daily gross labor remuneration for the last calendar month.
When you are pregnant or in an advanced stage of in vitro treatment, night work (from 22:00 to 06:00) is prohibited. Working at night is also not allowed if you already have children up to the age of 6 or take care of disabled children regardless of their age. The same applies to overtime work – outside the working hours established in your employment contract, on weekends or during public holidays.
If you are pregnant, have a child/children under the age of 3 or are in an advanced stage of in vitro treatment, your employer is not allowed to send you on a business trip without your written consent.
For larger groups of more than 20 women, the employer must furnish rooms for personal hygiene and rest rooms for pregnant women.
If the work performed is not suitable for your condition, according to the prescription of the health authorities (personal physician, medical advisory committee, TEMC, NEMC), the employer is obliged to temporarily employ you. For example, reducing working hours, providing a workplace with fresh air and light, not lifting heavy objects, etc.
In the event that the adjustment of working conditions is technically and/or objectively unfeasible or is not justified to be required due to the very nature of your work, the employer will have to transfer you to another suitable job.
Until the transfer order is fulfilled, the pregnant woman is released from the obligation to perform the unsuitable work, and the employer will have to pay her compensation. You will also receive such compensation when your remuneration is lower than what you received before employment.
Without prior permission from the Labor Inspectorate, the employer has no right to fire you if you are pregnant or the mother of a child under 3 years old. If you take maternity leave, you can only be fired if the company is closed.
With notice, you can be fired with the prior permission of the Labor Inspectorate only if:
- closing the company;
- refusal to follow the company or division in which you work when it moves to another place;
- when the position held by you must be vacated in order to reinstate an illegally dismissed worker or employee who previously held the same position;
- objective impossibility of fulfilling the employment contract - for example, when they can neither move you to another suitable job, nor soften the conditions of the one you already have.
You can be fired without notice when:
- be detained for the execution of a sentence;
- be disciplinary dismissed, with the prior permission of the Labor Inspectorate.
You have the following rights when breastfeeding:
- until your baby is 8 months old, you are entitled to 1 hour twice a day or 2 consecutive hours of paid leave for a full working day of 8 hours;
- when breastfeeding twins or a premature child, 3 hours of paid leave per day are taken until the child reaches the age of 8 months, and then 2 hours per day until this is necessary at the discretion of the health authorities.
Medical rights
Pregnant women have the right to a consultative examination with an obstetrician-gynecologist, which includes free obstetric ultrasound, Pap smear, microbiological examination, a second ultrasound examination by an obstetrician-gynecologist during the 16-20th week of pregnancy. In addition, at the first visit to the doctor, they are also entitled to the following free medical-diagnostic services: determination of blood group and Rh-factor; test for syphilis, hepatitis B, HIV, hemoglobin, erythrocytes, leukocytes, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, ESR, urine (sediment).
Some of these tests may be repeated in the following months at the doctor's discretion. In laboratories, only a fee is paid for the collection of biological material, regardless of the number of tests.
In addition, the pregnant woman has the right to one additional free preventive examination at the dentist and home visits for treatment and manipulations if there is a problem with the pregnancy.
Maternity leave and compensation
Paid maternity leave lasts 410 days. Curiously, this is one of the longest paid holidays in the world. For comparison, in other EU countries it varies between 6 months and a year, and in the USA it is 3 months). Fathers in our country are entitled to 15 days of paid leave upon birth or adoption.
Towards the end of the pregnancy, it is time to apply for leave. Before the due date of birth, 45 days of leave must be used. However, when the child is born before the expiry of these 45 days from the start of the leave, then the remaining days are used after the birth.
Maternity leave is paid and is recognized as work experience. In the first year, 90% of the average gross remuneration, on which insurance contributions have been paid or payable, is received for the period of 24 calendar months before the pregnancy leave, but only if there is 12 months of accumulated total insurance experience for this risk. These funds are not paid by the employer, but by the National Social Security Institute. For this purpose, all mandatory insurance contributions must be paid.
The minimum compensation is in the amount of the current minimum monthly salary. In case of early return to work (after 135 days from the birth), the mother has the right to continue receiving 50% of the benefit.
Mothers are entitled to additional leave for raising their first, second and third child until they reach the age of 2 and 6 months for each subsequent child after using leave due to pregnancy, childbirth or adoption. Adoptive parents are entitled to 365 days of leave when adopting a child up to the age of 5, starting from the date of adoption.
With the consent of the mother, this leave can also be used by the father, when the mother decides that she does not have the opportunity or does not want to be absent from the workplace. In such cases, he has the right to transfer the leave to the father of the child or to one of their parents, who has an employment contract at his workplace.
18.01.2023
LIFE IN ROMANIA BECAME BETTER THAN IN HUNGARY AND ATTRACTED INVESTORS FLEEING THE WAR
Romania's economy is expected to outpace its stagnant neighbors this year, helped by funding from the European Union, currency stability and foreign investment, driven in part by business pulling away from Russia and Ukraine.
The International Monetary Fund expects GDP growth of 3.1% in Romania, but even if only the European Commission's forecast of 1.8% growth comes true, Bucharest would be well ahead of Poland, whose economy is expected to grow by 0.7%, or Hungary, which is struggling with economic slowdown and skyrocketing inflation.
Romania has put behind it a decade in which it had the glory of being one of the poorest countries in Europe, beset by high corruption, and is emerging as the second largest economy in Eastern Europe after Poland.
Romanians' incomes are already 74% of Europeans
According to the latest Eurostat data, GDP per capita expressed as purchasing power was 74% of the EU average in 2021, an increase of 21% since 2010.
The average Romanian would spend about 20 months of his net income to buy a new Dacia Jogger, as much as in the traditionally wealthier Hungary.
The transformation has been achieved despite Romania's history of political instability - the last government fall was in 2021.
Romania's prospects are supported by its EU membership and good relations with Brussels.
As Budapest and Warsaw haggle with the EU over the rule of law related to billions in pandemic recovery funds, Romania has already drawn down more than €6 billion in grants and cheap loans.
Prime Minister Nicolae Chuka said the government aims to use more than 10 billion euros a year, equivalent to about 4 percent of the country's GDP. Romania has around €90 billion in EU funding until 2027.
Progress on justice reforms led the European Commission to recommend in November the abolition of the special justice monitoring mechanism it has applied to Romania (and Bulgaria) since it joined the EU in 2007.
"Provided that all the anti-corruption measures in the (recovery funds) plan are properly implemented, Romania can become an example of good governance in the region," an EU official said.
S&P, which like other rating agencies has its lowest investment grade rating on Romania pending a reduction in the fiscal deficit, said Bucharest was firmly on track to make progress on reforms agreed to secure key recovery funds.
Wages in Romania have overtaken those in Hungary
The stability of the leu is another factor, especially compared to the Hungarian forint, which hit record lows last year. Higher wages across the border have already led some Hungarians to seek work in industrialized western Romania.
An investment magnet
Companies moving from Russia and Ukraine to nearby low-cost manufacturing centers partly helped boost foreign direct investment to 9.39 billion euros in January-October, a record for the years since Romania joined the EU.
A 2022 Ernst&Young survey showed that more than half of 101 foreign companies plan to set up or expand operations in Romania, mostly in supply chains and logistics, ranking it fourth in Europe in terms of investment intent.
The Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship told Reuters it was monitoring five possible relocation projects from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine worth about 705 million euros.
Among them, Finland's Nokian Tires plans to invest 650 million euros by 2024 in a tire factory in Oradea in northwestern Romania, a wealthy region bordering impoverished parts of Hungary.
"It was clear that Oradea was the best choice for our new factory," Palvi Antola, who heads the investor relations department, told Reuters. She added that Nokian reviewed more than 40 relocation targets, looking at the availability of a skilled workforce, logistical advantages, green energy sources and rail access.
Obstacles to the economy remain Romania's large current account deficit, an aging population and a chronic bureaucracy that thwarts infrastructure development. Regional disparities are huge, with some rural areas still off the grid, while in bustling Bucharest living standards exceed those of the former East Germany.
