11.01.2023

HOW PEOPLE CAN GET AN ELECTRONIC CRIMINAL RECORD?

We know that government agencies that used to require us to provide a criminal record for various services or registrations now receive the information through the official route, rather than having us walk to Criminal Records desks for a paper original. And the information whether we have been convicted and for what, is needed in various cases - if we apply to the Ministry of the Interior, the State Agency for National Security, we want a permit for weapons or for securities trading.

However, there are still a number of cases where we have to get a criminal record certificate ourselves - for example, when we start working in a private company or get a license to practice a certain regulated profession.

In these cases, the state had provided the possibility since 2013 for Bulgarians to apply for and receive it electronically. However, for this purpose one had to have a qualified electronic signature of an individual with a personal identification number in the certificate, and until recently their prices were not at all low for their mass issuance, and in fact only a few thousand people owned them (company electronic signatures do not work in this case). Separately, the electronic ID could only be applied for by people born in the country who had never been convicted.

In all other cases, you had to visit the "Conviction" office in person at the district court of your place of residence, because only there were paper and electronic records of criminal records for Bulgarian citizens born in the territory under the jurisdiction of the respective district court.

However, the Centralized Automated Information System "Judicial Status" has been operating for several months, which enables almost every Bulgarian citizen to apply for a criminal record certificate electronically. What is needed?

In addition to the classic qualified electronic signature, the so-called cloud KEP (which is claimed through a mobile application from the phone and the use of which is free when signing in to the state's electronic authentication systems). In addition, citizens can be identified with an identification code of the National Social Security Institute or the National Revenue Agency. These are codes that more and more citizens have because they help them submit declarations, make inquiries and request services in these two institutions.

In terms of payment, it is enough to have a bank card, which almost all Bulgarians of working age have.

As for the restrictions by place of residence or legal status, the system now enables the applicant to request an electronic criminal record certificate, even if he was not born in Bulgaria, and even if he was convicted or fined under Art. 78a.

The information arrays of the Central Bureau "Sudimost" have been merged with all 113 bureaus in the country. Thus, data on the status of citizens is processed and stored in only one database, instead of in the local databases of the district courts of residence. For years, local criminal records bureau databases were manually updated based on court bulletins, making the process extremely unreliable, time-consuming and difficult to control.

In addition to the changes in the online service, the new information system makes it possible to issue paper criminal record certificates to all citizens, from every Criminal Record Office in the country, regardless of the person's place of birth or address registration. The paper original of the certificate has a QR code that leads to the electronic content of the document.

This is no small relief, because district court reports indicate that citizens still prefer to apply for criminal records over the counter, rather than online, which was probably also due to the limitations that the electronic service had until now.

11.01.2023

ALL ABOUT FATHER'S LEAVE

RIGHT TO CHILDBIRTH LEAVE:

If you are married to the child's mother or live in the same household with her, you are entitled to 15 days of leave upon the birth of the child from the date of his discharge from the hospital. You have the same right if you and your partner have adopted a child under the age of 5 under the conditions of full adoption. In this case, your leave starts from the day the child was handed over to you.

Childbirth leave can be used on the basis of a written application to your employer. The following apply to it:

• A copy of a civil marriage certificate or a declaration from you and the mother that I have recognized the child and that you live together in the same household;
• Document from the medical facility certifying the child's discharge date.

Important: Leave is claimed and used on calendar days.

If your documents are in order, your employer is obliged to allow you to use the leave from the day specified in the application.

You, for your part, are obliged to notify your employer immediately if, during your paternity leave:

• the marriage is terminated by an effective court decision;
• stop living in the same household with the child's mother;
• the child is given up for adoption;
• the child is placed in a children's institution with full state support;
• the child is placed outside your family in a family of your relatives or relatives, as well as the placement of a child to be raised in a foster family;
• the child dies.

If these circumstances exist, the leave is terminated.

You may terminate the use of the leave by written application to your employer.

RIGHT TO USE LEAVE APPLICABLE TO THE CHILD'S MOTHER:

You may use leave instead of the child's mother for the remainder of up to 410 days only with her consent after the child reaches 6 months of age, and the mother's leave is interrupted.

You use this leave on the basis of a written application to your employer, to which are attached:

• birth certificate of the child;
• declaration according to Annex No. 8 to the Ordinance on working hours, breaks and vacations.

The enterprise is obliged to grant leave from the day specified in the application.

You cannot take paternity leave at the same time as leave in the event of the death or serious illness of a parent.

When the mother (adoptive mother) of a child up to 2 years of age or the adoptive mother of a child from 2 to 5 years of age dies or becomes seriously ill, due to which she cannot take care of the child, the relevant part of the maternity, adoption and child-rearing leave of a small child are used by the father (adoptive). With his consent, these leaves can be used by one of his parents or by one of the parents of the child's deceased or seriously ill mother (adoptive mother), when he is employed.

The mother has the right to withdraw her consent at any time by written application to her employer and to the father's employer and to continue using her personal leave. To the application to her employer, the mother attaches the child's birth certificate or the child's handover certificate for adoption and a declaration according to Annex No. 7 to the Ordinance on working hours, breaks and vacations.

The father can also terminate the use of the leave with a written application to the company where he works.

Your leave ends when:

• you are deprived of parental rights or they are limited according to an established procedure;
• the child is given up for adoption;
• the child is placed in a children's institution with full state support;
• the child is placed outside your family in a family of your relatives or relatives, as well as the placement of a child to be raised in a foster family;
• the mother continued to use her maternity leave personally;
• the child dies;
• the adoption is terminated by the court;
• the employment of the mother is terminated.

The use of maternity leave is not terminated when the mother uses another type of leave to which she is entitled.

The time during which the leave is used is recognized as work experience.

Important: As long as you take the leave described above, you are covered by redundancy protection.

INDEMNIFICATION:

• You are entitled to monetary compensation during the use of the 15-day leave upon the birth of the child, if you are insured for general illness and maternity with a minimum of 12 months of insurance experience as insured for this risk.

You receive cash compensation for the working days of this 15-day period, regardless of the compensation that the insured mother receives for pregnancy and childbirth. Thus, you both receive compensation at the same time.

• You have the right to monetary compensation during the use of leave after the child reaches 6 months of age for the remainder of up to 410 calendar days.

Here, however, you receive the benefit instead of the child's mother - that is, only you.

10.01.2023

HOW TO PAY YOUR TAXES ONLINE?

Online payment of taxes and social security contributions is one of the most preferred electronic services of the National Revenue Agency. Since the beginning of the year, almost BGN 450 million have been paid without fees through the so-called virtual POS (the e-service of the NRA for card payments), and since its creation in 2018, more than 2 .5 million transactions for almost BGN 1.2 billion, the agency reported.

The electronic service "Information on obligations with the possibility of making a payment" is available with a Personal identification code or a Qualified electronic signature in the Portal for electronic services of the NRA.

The revenue agency specifies that no fees are due for the payment through the virtual POS terminal and it is reflected in the client's tax-insurance account immediately, without the usual delay of a bank transfer.

Online payment remains the most convenient and preferred way to repay debts. More and more parents are choosing to pay their taxes and social security through the virtual POS, as a key requirement for child and disabled tax relief is that they have no unpaid public debt that is subject to compulsory collection.

The NRA recommends the use of the Portal for electronic services both for payment of obligations and for submitting declarations, requesting documents, obtaining references and information, because it saves time and money for customers.

10.01.2023

THE PATENT OFFICE GRANTS OF UP TO 1,500 EUROS TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES

The Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria announced a grant for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for the protection of intellectual property in 2023. The vouchers, which will be available this year, cover up to 90 percent of the costs and almost all activities that SMEs need to carry out in the process of acquiring protection for their intellectual property, with the maximum amount for reimbursement reaching 1500 euros.

The Patent Office informs businesses that the EU Office for Intellectual Property (SESIS) foresees a new initiative to increase the budget of the Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises in the EU for 2023. The aim is to support businesses in increasing their competitiveness through better protection and use of intellectual property rights.

“Work on the SME Support Program was launched on a pilot basis in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then the SME Fund 2021 was approved and created within the framework of the COSME program. Its aim was to provide financial support to those EU SMEs who wish to either obtain a service for preliminary diagnosis of intellectual property (IP Scan) or obtain protection for their trademarks and/or designs", commented Prof. Vladya Borisova, Chairman of the Patent Office.

The aggregated results are conclusive: 12,989 EU-level grant requests were submitted for a total of €3,750,172.60, with an average payout of €500. In 2021, 77 percent of SMEs who applied for grants were first-time IP applicants, and 52 percent of beneficiaries indicated that they would not have applied for intellectual property protection without the Fund's support SMEs.

This gives the Office reason not only to continue the work of the Fund, but also to update some of the actions so that they meet the needs of SMEs as much as possible, commented the Patent Office of Bulgaria.

The vouchers

• Voucher 1 will reimburse up to 90 percent of the cost of intellectual property pre-diagnosis services up to €1,350 (subject to applicable national costs for that service, with a maximum service cost of €1,500). This would allow SMEs to take full advantage of the scan of their intellectual property portfolio and still have the funds to apply for additional IP rights following the recommendations of the IP scan report.
• Voucher 2 will cover trademark and design registration at national, regional, European and international level for a maximum of €1,000. The recovery rate will remain at 75 percent for trademarks and designs filed at the national, regional and European level and 50 percent for trademarks and designs filed at the international level.
• Voucher 3 for national and European patents, which will extend the possibility of reimbursement of fees for filing national and European patents and prior art research. The amount of the grant and the reimbursement rate are also increased to €1,500 and 75 percent, respectively.
• Voucher 4, which will cover 50 percent of the fee for electronic submission of applications for plant varieties at EU level (€225). By providing financial support for the registration of plant varieties, the SME Fund will support SMEs involved in the green and digital transition, while supporting the objectives of the EC Green Deal. There will be no performance period for this voucher as only the application fee will be eligible for refund.

There are two significant changes for 2023 – an increase in the budget and a shorter activation period for each of the four vouchers, reduced to two months with the possibility of extending it to four months. This would help to optimize the implementation of the budget by allowing a faster release of unused funds to SMEs.

"SMEs are the driving force of the European economy and account for 65.2 percent of all jobs in the EU. In Bulgaria, the picture is no different - SMEs traditionally contribute to three quarters of total employment and to nearly 65 percent of the added value in the country's economy", says Prof. Borisova and adds that it is they who offer innovative solutions to many urgent challenges and help spread innovation across Europe. However, only 10 percent of European SMEs have registered intellectual property rights. Therefore, according to all analyses, they need support to increase their competitiveness through better protection and use of intellectual property objects.

Context

The SME Fund is an initiative that aims to financially support small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU in protecting and managing their intellectual property rights through the national, regional, European and international intellectual property systems, using part of the Office's financial reserves. The initiative is implemented by the Office in partnership with the European Commission and with the support of the European Union Intellectual Property Network (EUIPN).

In November 2020, the Management Board and the Budget Committee approved the establishment of the 2021 SME Fund under the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME) programme. The action started on January 11, 2021 and ended on June 30, 2022.

Based on the success and lessons learned from this first call for proposals, in November 2021 the Management Board and the Budget Committee approved the establishment of the multiannual initiative "SME Fund" for the period 2022-2024 under the Single Market Program (SMP) of EU.

09.01.2023

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR RETIREMENT IN 2023?

The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy recalls on its Facebook page that from January 1, 2023. the conditions for receiving a pension for full insurance service and age are changed.

In order to acquire the right to a pension for length of service and age from 1 January 2023, insured persons must have reached the minimum retirement age and a certain length of service.

The department points out that this year men in our country will be able to retire at the age of 64 years and 6 months and 39 years and 4 months of service, and women at the age of 62 years and 36 years and 4 months of service.

  The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy also reminds what the conditions are for 1 year early retirement. For men, respectively - age 63 years and 7 months and 39 years and 6 months of service and for women - age 61 years and 2 months and 36 years and 6 months of service.

For every month missing from the general retirement age, the pension is reduced for life by 0.4%, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy further specifies.

The right to a pension is not extinguished by statute of limitations. Persons who in the previous year fulfilled the conditions for acquiring the right to a pension for length of service and age will be able to retire at any subsequent moment under the conditions already fulfilled and in the following years, regardless of whether there are changes in the conditions for retirement. The receipt of a pension is extinguished with the expiration of a 3-year statute of limitations, starting from January 1 of the year following the year to which it relates.

The foreseen smooth increase and gradual equalization of the retirement age for retirement under the general rules (under Article 68, paragraph 1 of the Social Security Code) (for both women and men) should end at the age of 65 and for both sexes in 2037. After that, the age under Art. 68, para. 1 of the Social Security Code will be linked to the increase in average life expectancy (on the basis of Article 68, Paragraph 5 of the Social Security Code).

The required insurance length of service for retirement (under Article 68, paragraph 2 of the Social Insurance Code) for those working under the conditions of the third labor category also increases by two months per year for women and men until reaching 37 years in 2037 for women and 40 years for men.

09.01.2023

FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED TO EMPLOYERS TO HIRE UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

Financial support will be provided to employers who employ unemployed youth up to the age of 29. The funds are provided under the "New opportunities for youth employment" project.

Employers from the real sector, as well as bodies of the executive power according to the Law on Local Self-Government and Local Administration, municipal enterprises under Art. 52 of the Law on Municipal Property, the bodies of the central administration of the executive power and their territorial structures, according to Art. 38 of the Law on Administration, and the latter can apply for vacancies only for internships with an employer for young people with completed higher education.

Support is provided to employers who employ unemployed youth up to the age of 29 through the following three options:

• conclusion of an employment contract for on-the-job training, for a period of up to 6 months, during which the trainee receives remuneration for the time actually worked. With such an employment contract, the employer undertakes to train the worker or employee in the process of working in a certain profession or specialty. Agreement under Art. 230 of the Labor Code is concluded with young people who do not have a qualification in the profession in which they will be trained during the work process. It is permissible to enter into such a contract with persons who have a qualification, but in another profession or specialty. According to the provisions of the Labor Code, the employer is obliged to provide work for a period of up to 3 years, according to the acquired qualification, to the persons who have successfully completed training under the project (Article 230, paragraph 4 of the Labor Code). The training is supported by mentors, who can be either designated by the employer, its employees/workers, or the natural persons who represent the Employer. The remuneration of the persons included in the training is in the amount of the minimum wage for the country, and for the mentors it is in the amount of 1/2 of the minimum wage (for those appointed to a labor or official relationship).
• conclusion of an employment contract for an internship, for a period of 6 to 9 months, with the remuneration being in the amount of the minimum insurance income for the relevant main economic activity and qualification group of professions for the relevant year, to which the disclosed internship position applies (Art. 233b of the Labor Code). Internship is the performance of work under the guidance of the employer or of a person designated by him - a mentor, with the aim of acquiring practical skills in an acquired profession or specialty. Such an employment contract can only be concluded with persons who possess a qualification acquired in the secondary or higher education system, for work in a position that corresponds to the qualification acquired by the person. The internship is for a period of 6 to 9 months. In the case of an internship, no costs are incurred for the remuneration of a mentor.
• conclusion of an employment contract for a period of up to 9 months with a provided mentor for jobs disclosed by the employers in the field of activities carried out by them in positions falling within the scope of single groups of professions from classes 2 to 9 of the National Classification of Professions and Positions - 2011. The remuneration of the employed youth is in the amount of the minimum insurance income for the relevant main economic activity and qualification group of professions for the relevant year. Mentors can be designated by the employer as its employees/employees assigned to a labor or service relationship, and the funds under the project cover their remuneration costs in the amount of 1/2 of the minimum wage.

The project also reimburses expenses for public transport of passengers by buses according to the approved republican, regional or municipal transport schemes or for rail transport of passengers in cases where the unemployed person has accepted the "suitable job" offered by the Employment Agency in the sense of the Law on employment promotion Transport costs cover the value of the supporting documents (tickets – up to 2 means of transport per day in one direction; day passes) corresponding to the days worked for the first month of the internship/on-the-job training/employment.

All procedures and necessary documents for application and inclusion in the project are published on the website of the Employment Agency.

After the approval of the employer and the unemployed persons, an employment contract is concluded between the Employment Agency and the employer. Employers are reimbursed already incurred expenses for wages and insurance contributions for the persons employed under the project, and the possibility to reimburse, in addition to already paid, but only accrued expenses of the persons who worked during the reporting month, is also regulated.

It is also important to know that:

• Employers can submit requests for job vacancies for young people with registration in Directorates "Labor Office" throughout the country;
• All currently valid contracts with employers for internship/on-the-job training may, at the discretion of the respective employer, be annexed in accordance with the new project conditions.
• Employment under all contracts with employers should end no later than 31.07.2023.

06.01.2023

THE INTERREG VI-A ROMANIA BULGARIA PROGRAMME WAS APPROVED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The Interreg VI-A Romania Bulgaria Programme was approved by the European Commission on the 30^th of November 2022.

The Interreg VI-A Romania-Bulgaria with  a total budget of 207,45 million euros, is dedicated to the local communities from seven counties located in  the Southern part of Romania (Mehedinți, Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Călărași and Constanţa) and eight districts in the Northern part of Bulgaria (Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Veliko Tarnovo, Pleven, Ruse, Dobrich and Silistra).

The Programme aims to finance projects in the field of mobility and connectivity, nature protection and biodiversity, risk prevention and climate change adaptation, education, tourism and culture.

Also, one of our main goals is to develop the Eurovelo Route 6, which will help to boost tourist and cultural activities, strengthening the local economy and providing a sustainable transport corridor between Danube settlements.

For more information regarding the programme, click here.

06.01.2023

THE BASIC INTEREST RATE IN OUR COUNTRY IS ALREADY 1.42%

The Bulgarian National Bank has announced, as of January 1, 2023, the basic interest rate (simple annual interest) in the amount of 1.42%.

This is the fourth promotion in a row. In December, the interest rate reached 1.30%. In November, the main interest rate was 0.59 percent, and in October - 0.49 percent. Then, for the first time since 2016, the basic interest rate went above zero.

The increase in basic interest rate in Bulgaria comes against the background of increased interest rates by the European Central Bank.

05.01.2023

HOW MUCH BGN IS THE MINIMUM INSURANCE THRESHOLD FOR FARMERS AND SELF-INSURERS?

The minimum insurance income for self-insured persons and farmers remains BGN 710 per month, but the insurance of the employees employed by them must necessarily be on a minimum salary of BGN 780.

The discrepancy comes from the fact that the so-called "extending law" left the minimum insurance threshold at BGN 710, the same as the minimum wage in 2022.

At the same time, from the beginning of 2023, by decree of the Council of Ministers, the minimum wage is now BGN 780.

05.01.2023

11 DISTRICTS IN OUR COUNTRY ARE "DONORS" OF WORKERS FOR FOREIGN COUNTRIES

More than 5 percent of the population of 11 districts in the country (Vidin, Vratsa, Gabrovo, Kardjali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Razgrad, Sliven, Smolyan, Targovishte, Haskovo) has gone abroad in the last 10 years.

These areas are the biggest "donors" of labor for foreign countries, mainly from the European Union, the General Labor Inspectorate informs on its website.

The preferred countries of employment in the last five years are mainly EU countries. The leaders are Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, Austria, France and the Czech Republic.

The main reason why Bulgarians look for work abroad is the pay. Nearly 96 percent of labor emigrants expect higher salaries than those in our country and hope to accumulate savings that will help them in the future. The data show that this motivation does not depend on education, financial situation and place of residence.

People of all ages work abroad - from 18 to 55. However, active Bulgarians over 30 years of age predominate, according to data from the Labor Inspectorate. From the point of view of gender, men predominate in the ratio of 53% to 47%, but the share of women gradually increases with increasing age, and in the age group 46 - 55 years they already dominate.

According to the research, in recent years, the share of people who go abroad has shown a downward trend. Some of the reasons for this are the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus and the recession in Europe as a result of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

The study carried out by General Labor Inspectorate is within the framework of the cross-border 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 Agency is a project partner, and the entire study is available on its official website, in the "Activity" section, "Projects" section, "Project DFPO-1.002-0002-C01 "Collaboration for decent working conditions" subsection https://gli.government.bg/bg/taxonomy/term/508   It was published as part of Objective No. 6 of the project "Conducting national sociological surveys on issues related to undeclared work and work abroad".