The government will provide BGN 39 million in additional funding to increase the remuneration of the academic staff in state higher education institutions, starting from January 1, 2024, the Council of Ministers announced.
This will enable the minimum salary for the lowest academic position in public higher education institutions to increase by BGN 290. – from BGN 1,810 to BGN 2,100. The increase will cover 33 state higher education institutions with 2,086 assistants. It will contribute to the attraction and retention of young teachers and their development in the academic career.
The funds in the amount of BGN 39 million have been allocated with the Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2024, therefore at the current stage there is no obstacle to realizing an increase in the remuneration of the academic staff from January 1, 2024.
The amendments to the Law on Higher Education adopted by the National Assembly provide for the determination of new minimum basic salaries for the lowest academic position from April 1, 2024; determination of minimum basic salaries for researchers, specialists and experts; an increase in the remuneration of academic staff in state higher education institutions for reaching an average gross salary of no less than 180 percent of the average gross salary for the country and an increase in scholarships for doctoral students in an amount of no less than 150 percent of the minimum wage salary for the country.
The total financial resource for implementing the changes adopted by the National Assembly amounts to about BGN 184 million, which leads to the need to provide a significant financial resource from the state budget, which is not provided for by the Law on the State Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2024 year. The only possible source for this is to be provided at the expense of capital expenditure restructuring under the central budget, incl. The investment program for national projects, adopted by the State Budget Law for 2024.
The necessary funds in the amount of BGN 150 million to compensate state higher education institutions for the reduced amount of their income as a result of the abolition of student tuition fees are not provided for by the Law on the State Budget for 2024, nor as an expense , nor as reduced income.