05.05.2022
BGN 7 BILLION FOR 7 YEARS FOR THE BULGARIAN MUNICIPALITIES
BGN 7 billion in 7 years can be used by Bulgarian municipalities until 2027. The funds are provided in the Regional Development Program 2021-2027 (RDP), which is managed by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRDPW). In addition, more than BGN 750 million from the five cross-border co-operation programs with Greece, Turkey, Northern Macedonia, Serbia and Romania are expected to be implemented in joint projects in Bulgaria's border regions. The data was presented by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Delyana Ivanova during the regional meeting of mayors and chairmen of Municipal Councils from the South Central Planning Region, which took place in Plovdiv.
The initiative central and local authorities in our country have secured access to another BGN 2.5 billion under other European programs for cooperation and good neighborliness, such as the Danube Program, Euro-MED Program, Interreg-Europe, URBACT, ESPON 2030 Program, Interreg Program "NEXT Black Sea Basin, said Deputy Minister Ivanova. According to her, the Bulgarian authorities, municipalities and enterprising business have never had greater access to the resource than European solidarity. Only the most prepared and with a visionary approach will benefit from the opportunities provided and I urge all of you to seek information and take advantage of these opportunities, appeals Delyana Ivanova.
At the meeting with the mayors, she presented in detail the requirements of the Regional Development Program 2021-2027, so that the beneficiaries can now start preparing the projects for application.
The resource of BGN 7 billion is divided into four main priorities. The first of them is "Integrated Urban Development" worth BGN 1.047 billion. The ten largest municipalities in Bulgaria, which have been designated as growth centers, will compete for the distribution of this money. These are Vidin, Pleven, Ruse, Veliko Tarnovo, Varna, Burgas, Stara Zagora, Plovdiv, Sofia, Blagoevgrad.
There are two obligatory conditions that the local authorities must comply with in order to receive funding for the projects, Deputy Minister Ivanova emphasized. The first is that the measures they want to implement are provided for in the integrated development plans of the municipalities, which have been developed by the municipal authorities in compliance with the bottom-up approach when proposing projects.
The second condition is that the projects with which the municipalities will apply for funding for road infrastructure, education, health, social policy and culture, to correspond to the maps for the needs of the sector, prepared by the relevant state bodies and to be reflected in integrated development plans. The candidates from each of the municipalities decide for themselves which projects to apply for, the Deputy Minister added. The integrated territorial strategies for the development of the regions define the medium-term goals, priorities and perspectives for sustainable integrated regional and local development on the territory of the respective region for planning the creation of an attractive living environment.
Priority 2 "Integrated Territorial Development of the Regions" has allocated BGN 2.5 billion. 40 medium and large municipalities will fight for them. These are the municipalities: Vratsa, Lovech, Lom, Montana, Troyan, Gabrovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Sevlievo, Razgrad, Svishtov, Silistra, Dobrich, Targovishte, Shumen, Sliven, Yambol, Nova Zagora, Aytos, Karnobat, Kazanlak, Svilengrad, Harmanli, Dimitrovgrad, Kardzhali, Haskovo, Asenovgrad, Velingrad, Smolyan, Pazardzhik, Peshtera, Panagyurishte, Karlovo, Botevgrad, Gotse Delchev, Dupnitsa, Kyustendil, Pernik, Petrich, Samokov and Sandanski.
This resource can be upgraded with funding from almost all other European programs, except for three of them - the Transport Connectivity Program, the Food and Material Assistance Program and the Technical Assistance Program.
In the third priority "Fair Energy Transition" BGN 3.2 billion have been provided, and they are provided for the districts of Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora. The aim is to make a smooth transition from coal-fired power plants to green energy. This part of the RDP will start at a later stage of the program so that all clarifications on these specific objectives can be completed.
What is new in the Regional Development Program 2021-2027 (RDP) is that it will finance the implementation of integrated territorial investment (ITI). They are an instrument of Cohesion Policy, which is being introduced in Bulgaria for the first time during the current programming period, said Delyana Ivanova. She explained that the EU aims to support proposed bottom-up projects. Local stakeholders will have a leading role in proposing projects, so that the most important investments for the respective territory can be identified and implemented. The priority in ITI will be the economic orientation, which opens the possibility for hybrid financing with other programs. Priority in the evaluation of proposed investments will be given to projects initiated by more than one stakeholder in the region. The goal is to achieve supra-municipal significance for any investment, the deputy minister said.
Delyana Ivanova also presented the opportunities for municipalities under the National Plan for Reconstruction and Sustainability. This is the measure for Support for sustainable energy renovation of the residential and non-residential building stock - renovation of public buildings in the country and renovation of buildings for production, trade and services.
An attractive scheme under the National Plan for Reconstruction and Development is Green Mobility. This is a pilot measure to support sustainable urban mobility through measures to develop environmentally friendly, safe, functional and energy efficient transport systems. It envisages the supply of zero-emission urban and interurban public transport vehicles, the construction of charging stations, the development of integrated transport systems to improve the efficiency of public transport and the introduction of safe urban mobility measures aimed at vulnerable pedestrians. and cyclists, explained Delyana Ivanova.
05.05.2022
NEW BRIDGES AND AN OLD FERRY ON THE DANUBE
Making the Danube a key transport corridor for Europe will be a common task for Bulgaria and Romania. This became clear after the meeting of the Prime Minister Kiril Petkov with the Prime Minister of Romania Nicolae Chuca.
A joint group with representatives of the two countries is expected to start work this week, discussing infrastructure projects that will make the Danube navigable year-round. The possibilities for building another bridge to Ruse and four others along the river, as well as dredging the waterway will also be considered. These initiatives will contribute to economic development and prosperity in the region, said Prime Minister Petkov. EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valian supported regional co-operation and highlighted the great potential of the Danube River in the context of the need for new export corridors.
The ferry line Ruse - Giurgiu will resume its activities. This became possible after the signing of an Agreement between Bulgaria and Romania on the opening of a Bulgarian-Romanian border checkpoint Ruse - Giurgiu - ferry. The opening of the border crossing point will significantly ease the traffic on the Bulgarian-Romanian border.
The decision to resume the ferry line was taken during a meeting with Minister Sorin Grindianu in January at the initiative of Minister Nikolay Sabev in Ruse.
During the plenary session of the two government delegations, the main topic was improving the transport connectivity of the two countries. The construction of a second bridge between Giurgiu and Ruse was discussed, for which European funding will be sought. The two countries will continue their joint work on launching the Danube dredging project and including it in the European Fast Danube program.
04.05.2022
THE SECOND PHASE OF JUMP FOR CEE - GOOGLE'S PROGRAM AND STARTUP WISE GUYS TO IMPROVE ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS
Startup Wise Guys Foundation, the most experienced startup accelerator in Europe and one of the most active investment funds, has launched the second phase of Jump for CEE, supported by Google.org through the Impact Challenge for Central and Eastern Europe initiative. The Jump for CEE Entrepreneurship Training Program aims to attract 400 participants from Central and Eastern Europe to online seminars designed to reduce the negative economic impact of the Covid-19 crisis.
The second phase of the program will last from May to July 2022 and all events will be free for participants. The program will host a series of modules - concept hack, hackathon and pre-accelerator, which will help participants build entrepreneurial attitudes, learn the basics of business and create a network of colleagues and mentors.
The first module - Idea Hack, will take place on May 10 and 12 and will help participants shape their vision. The hackathon, scheduled for May 25-27, is a 48-hour event that will end with a presentation to a jury. The last module, the pre-accelerator, will be online for eight weeks.
The first phase of the Jump for CEE in 2021 attracted over 330 registrations from 31 countries, and 170 participants from Central and Eastern Europe and beyond benefited from the programme's activities. During the stage, an international network of mentors and experts helped form 17 teams that developed business ideas in various industries and sectors such as education, cybersecurity, payments, travel, agriculture, sports and mobility.
During our 10 years of work, we have achieved great success in helping entrepreneurs turn their ideas into a thriving business. We are now taking the opportunity to donate to society through our foundation. We strive to implement ambitious projects that help develop sustainable local and international startup ecosystems. We are excited to see that our partnership with Google.org is already exceeding expectations, inspiring and creating ambitious entrepreneurs from economically vulnerable groups, said Cristobal Alonso, Global CEO of Startup Wise Guys.
To apply for the Jump for CEE program, participants do not need to have a business or even a business plan. Any person or team from the region of Central and Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, Hungary, Romania or elsewhere, with a good level of English and interest in the digital world, is good came to apply.
More information about the program and the application form can be found here: https://startupwiseguys.com/jumpforcee/
More about the Impact Challenge for Central and Eastern Europe
Google.org launched its Impact Challenge CEE initiative in 2021 to promote innovation and support people and businesses that have been negatively affected by the economic crisis caused by Covid-19. The program distributes more than 2 million euros to non-profit organizations, business organizations and academic institutions for the implementation of charitable projects. The Startup Wise Guys Foundation, recognized for its work with entrepreneurs in the region, was selected as a beneficiary of this initiative with its Jump for CEE accelerator. Under the program, the foundation is hosting a series of three-phase modules that run until December 2022.
More on Startup Wise Guys
Startup Wise Guys is the most experienced B2B startup accelerator in Europe and one of the most active investors in startup companies. Founded in Tallinn in 2012, SWG helps more than 600 entrepreneurs take their start-ups to the next level. To date, Startup Wise Guys has invested in more than 275 startups, with a success rate of over 77%. With a significant presence in the Nordic countries, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Africa and the Balkans, SWG aims to become a program to accelerate any B2B startup that wants to grow worldwide. Startup Wise Guys has been named the hottest accelerator at the Europas Startup Awards 2021.
04.05.2022
THE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM FOR 2022 OF THE US EMBASSY IN BULGARIA
The US Embassy is accepting applications for funding under the Small Grants Program for the financial year 2022. The required forms are different from the previous ones.
Detailed information can be found on the program page in English: https://bg.usembassy.gov/education-culture/grant-opportunities/
The deadline for applications is September 1, 2022. Applications received before this date will be periodically reviewed every two months (February, April, June and September) and applicants will be notified of the committee's decisions.
04.05.2022
FINANCING SESSION - 2022 OF THE MUNICIPAL FUND FOR SUPPORT OF LOCAL INITIATIVES - MONTANA
The purpose of the financial support from the Fund is to realize the benefits and impacts of the implementation of approaches and practices with the participation of the community in solving local problems, improving the environment and the quality of life of the community. The provided financial support is a guaranteed basic fund in the implementation of local community initiatives, in search of opportunities to mobilize additional funds for their implementation. The maximum amount with which the fund can support a local initiative is up to BGN 3,000.
Applicants can be organizations, community centers and civic groups that want to implement initiatives for the benefit of the local community. These are non-governmental organizations registered under the Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities (Non-Profit Legal Entities), community centers registered under the Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities, local cultural institutions and informal civic groups operating in the Municipality of Montana.
With the announcement of the current procedure for accepting project proposals, the partnership established in 2017 between AGORA Platform and the Municipality of Montana in the implementation of joint activities in the establishment and operation of the Municipal Fund for Support of Local Initiatives is continued and upgraded. The coordination of the procedure for the activity of the fund is carried out by the Administrator of the fund - "Agency for Regional Development and Business Center 2000".
The term for implementation of the initiatives can be from 2 to 6 months, starting from the date of signing the contract. The initiatives can be implemented in one or more settlements in the municipality of Montana.
The total budget of the fund for the fourth session is BGN 20,000, with BGN 12,000 provided by the Municipality of Montana and BGN 8,000 provided by the AGORA Platform.
Applications are sent on paper in a sealed envelope with the inscription to the office of the fund administrator at: "Agency for Regional Development and Business Center 2000", 2 Alexander Batenberg Street, Montana 3400.
The Fund Administrator will answer questions related to the Fund and the initiatives, but no later than two weeks before the deadline for submitting the forms. Questions related to the application procedure and procedure can be asked to: Ms. Georgiya Nikolova Dimitrova, Executive Director of the Regional Development Agency and Business Center 2000, tel. 096 300 760 and e-mail: office@arrbc-montana.org. The questions and answers will be published on the website of the Municipality of Montana and the website of the Agency.
The deadline for submitting the forms is May 14, 2022.
The package of documents required for application is available on the website of the Municipality of Montana, section "Announcements and announcements".
04.05.2022
CHANGES PROVIDE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCED WORKING HOURS
During the Covid labor crisis, for the first time, there was talk of "homeoffice" unilaterally by the employer.
It turned out that this mechanism was hitherto unknown to the labor legislation in the country, binding as a principle the employment at home or distance work with the consent of the parties to the employment relationship. The legislator was forced to "validate" some of the rules introduced by administrative order, quickly dressing them in legal form.
For the first time, the Labor Code keeps pace with two issues that the pandemic has made particularly pressing. In order to better reconcile work and family responsibilities, a person will have the opportunity, if necessary, to request for some time remote work, change of working hours or its distribution, as well as other changes in the employment relationship.
This applies to parents of children under the age of 8, and for the first time to people who care for a parent, spouse or other relatives in the direct line for medical or other serious reasons.
The texts are included in a draft of amendments to the Labor Code, proposed for public discussion on the public consultation portal here. The reason for them is the European directive 2019/1158 / EU concerning the balance between professional and personal life of parents and carers.
A second important Directive (EU) 2019/1152, aims to improve working conditions by promoting more transparent and predictable employment, while ensuring labor market flexibility. The requirements of the Directive must be transposed into our national legislation by August 2022.
Compatibility between personal and work sphere
"It is good to know that when we talk about reconciling personal and professional life, we mean more flexible schemes of work - opportunities for employees to use reduced working hours or reduced working week or working day. Instead of the usual 8-hour working day, there should be 6, 5 or 4 hours, but this cannot be done without the consent of both parties to the employment relationship," said CITUB.
One positive trend is the predictability of employment relationships. The European legislator is working to reduce the number of fixed-term employment contracts and encourage the employer to conclude permanent ones, with a view to the security of employees.
So far, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy has invited trade unions and employers' organizations to sit down at the negotiating table to agree on what to change in the regulation of telework.
04.05.2022
THE STATE WILL PAY THE RENT TO THE POOR
Bulgarian citizens from vulnerable groups will also be able to benefit from the rent assistance provided by the state as a measure to stimulate employment among refugees from Ukraine. This was stated in "The Day Begins" by Deputy Prime Minister for Effective Governance Kalina Konstantinova.
It is envisaged that the state will provide a monthly allowance of BGN 400 within three months, which will be targeted for the payment of rent. The aid will be paid through the employers of the new employees.
"The measure will not only be for refugees, but also for Bulgarians who need and fall into the target group - for example, who have not worked for a long time. We believe that this crisis gives us the opportunity to smooth over problems and take measures that will be for the benefit of all." said Konstantinova.
The specific parameters of the measure are currently being written. The deputy prime minister expects it to take effect in a few weeks.
In the meantime, a program is being drawn up to build children's centers to take over children from Ukraine. According to Konstantinova, they will also benefit Bulgarian parents, especially in cities where there is a crisis with places for kindergartens.
04.05.2022
„ARSENAL“ IS LOOKING FOR 300 WORKERS
„Arsenal“ AD in Kazanlak is announcing almost 300 vacancies. This is clear on the official website of the company.
We are looking for specialists with higher technical and chemical education or with secondary special education with continuing education. Vacancies have been announced for engineers - metallurgist, designer, technologist, chemical process engineer, as well as shift supervisor, plumbing engineer and power engineer.
Most of the announced positions are in the professions of millers, qualifiers, machine operators, adjusters and other workers in the production.
According to the official website, the plant has over 10,000 employees and over 1,200 technical staff. The company promises a number of social bonuses such as additional monthly bonuses for Easter and Christmas, food vouchers, free vacation at sea in the company's resort, kindergarten in the company, cake for every birthday, production of confectionery "Arsenal", payment of hiring highly qualified and promising staff from another locality.
29.04.2022
DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS ARE DELETED AFTER 1 YEAR
The culpable non-fulfillment of the labor obligations is a violation of the labor discipline. The violator shall be punished by the disciplinary sanctions provided for in the Labor Code (LC), regardless of the property, administrative-penal or criminal liability, if such liability is provided. This is recorded in the LC itself. It also ordered that the disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed on employees are three - reprimand, warning of dismissal and dismissal.
The Labor Code also specifies the violations of labor discipline, which lead to the penalties in question. These can be delays, early departures, absenteeism or non-compaction of working hours. They may be the appearance of the employee in a condition that does not allow him to perform the tasks assigned to him. Or non-fulfillment of the assigned work, non-observance of the technical and technological rules, as well as production of low-quality products. Penalties can also be imposed for non-compliance with the rules for healthy and safe working conditions or for non-compliance with legal orders of the employer. Abuse of trust and damage to the good name of the company, as well as dissemination of confidential information about it and, last but not least, damage to the employer's property and scattering of materials, raw materials, energy and other means are also considered violations.
In determining the disciplinary sanction, the gravity of the violation, the circumstances under which it was committed, as well as the behavior of the employee shall be taken into account. It is important to know that only one disciplinary sanction can be imposed for the same violation of labor discipline. The Labor Code also stipulates that disciplinary sanctions are imposed by the employer or by an official appointed by him with managerial functions. Disciplinary sanctions against the head of the undertaking, as well as against employees appointed by the higher authority, shall be imposed by that authority.
Here, too, we come to the specifics related to whether it is possible to delete disciplinary sanctions imposed under the Labor Code. The code responds positively. Thus, according to Article 197 of the Labor Code, disciplinary sanctions are deleted upon the expiration of 1 year from their imposition. The deletion is effective from now on. However, it is explicitly stated that the deletion of the disciplinary dismissal is not a ground for reinstatement of the employee to his/her previous job.
There are also special rules for early cancellation of disciplinary sanctions. Thus, disciplinary sanctions, with the exception of dismissal, may be lifted by the employer before the expiry of the above-mentioned one-year period, if the employee has not committed other breaches of labor discipline. Here again, the deletion has effect from now on. In these latter cases, the deletion is carried out by a motivated written order, which is served on the employee.
29.04.2022
HOW TO CHANGE THE BANK BECAUSE OF HIGH FEES?
The fees that banks charge for customer service are constantly growing, without necessarily related to improving the service. Each bank is obliged to notify the consumers two months before the change in the tariff and if they do not agree, they can refuse the payment service within this two-month period and terminate their contract with the bank without paying penalties and other costs. These notifications are usually uploaded on banks' websites and are difficult to spot before the tariff change takes effect.
But even if you miss this deadline, it's good to know how you can change the bank in general. You can now find many platforms on the Internet that offer a comparison of bank fees and choose a better option.
How to transfer a payment account from one bank to another?
Step 1: Open a payment account in the bank you want (the host bank) in the same currency as your bank account you want to leave (the transferring bank).
Step 2: Submit to the bank with your new bank account Request for transfer of a payment account according to the bank's sample.
Step 3: That's it. Banks do whatever it takes after they get your permission.
Your request gives you the choice to specify which specific incoming credit transfers, periodic transfer orders and direct debit agreements must be transferred, as well as the date from which the periodic transfer and direct debit orders will be executed by the host bank. . You may want to personally inform your payers and recipients of funds, in which case the host bank will issue you standard notification letters with your payment account details.
ATTENTION! During execution, your old bank cannot block transfers before the date you specify in the authorization to transfer the payment account.
For which things banks can not charge fees:
ATTENTION! If your framework agreement with the bank you are leaving has lasted longer than 6 months, the same bank cannot charge you a fee for closing the payment account according to Art. 113, para. 3 of the Law on Payment Services and Payment Systems, but other due fees should be paid, reminded by the association "Active Users".
When in certain cases fees are charged, according to the law they must be acceptable and correspond to the actual costs of the bank. If one of the banks does not comply with the obligations it has to transfer the payment account, and the consumer immediately incurs a financial loss, he is entitled to reimbursement. There are exceptions in extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances, but in case of doubt, you can contact the Active Users Association for clarification.
