We are about to announce a new phase of the "I Choose Bulgaria" measure, aimed at internal mobility in the country. It will be for families - young or more experienced, who can consider the opportunities in settlements with a population of up to 50 thousand people, find a job and settle there. And we are once again supporting this process with allowances for moving household goods, rent for a period of up to 12 months and other measures. This was stated by the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Natalia Efremova in the program "From the Day" on BNT.
The "Basket with Care" measure starts today. One of the main tasks of the "Basket with Care" is to stimulate Bulgarian production. It is voluntary on the part of the business. It will include a minimum of 30 products in order to help households, saving about 15% of the price of these products. The chains will extend the time they offer the discounted products, she emphasized.
Efremova assured that talks have been held with manufacturers and that one of the main tasks of “Basket with Care“ is to stimulate the supply of Bulgarian products. She emphasized that when transportation costs are lower, the supply chain is shorter and there is no increase in the retail price. Smaller stores can also join this measure, she explained.
Today, in the supervision of the National Social Insurance Institution, we discussed and voted for an increase of 7.8% for all other pensions. There will certainly be no one harmed by the Covid supplement. Over time, this supplement has become part of the old formula for pensions. It has been updated over the years and thus in the old pensions it is diluted, and the supplements are transferred through the Ministry of Social Affairs. In the new pensions, the insurance system is based on the contribution of the people who are insured in it. The insurance system must be based on the principle of the contribution of the people in it, so that they can draw certain rights and benefits. Supplements have no place in the financial system, but in the social assistance system. The logic is that people should not be deprived of rights, but things should be put in their place, assured Minister Efremova.
A crisis is coming, but all social pensions will be guaranteed and paid in full, she reassured.
The goal of our government is to increase people's incomes, reduce inequalities and fight poverty. This is best achieved by providing jobs. We have an extremely large number of measures aimed at free training. Unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do to motivate people to train and retrain. This will be our focus from now on, said Minister Efremova.
We will start with cost optimization. If there are cuts, they will be made in a way that people do not suffer, she added.