“The conversation about social payments is not about money, but about the future“, said the Minister of Labor and Social Policy Borislav Gutsanov in the program “This Saturday“ on bTV and added: “What do we want - to be a poor country and attract investors because of low wages? Or do we want to be a developed country, because the most developed countries are highly social. I believe that we should be a developed country“.
According to Minister Gutsanov, stimulating young families due to the demographic crisis is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP). “We propose that the funds that women receive in the second year of motherhood be increased to 1,100 leva instead of the current 780 leva. Currently, the state gives 50 percent of 780 leva if the woman returns to work. We want this money to increase to 75 percent of 1,100 leva. This way we will stimulate young people to return to work. Here is the connection between social policy and the economy. These are not grocery bills, but the future and prospects“, Gutsanov also said.
He recalled that the MLSP also proposes raising benefits for the birth of a first, second and third child: “We want the scope of the one-time benefit for students to be expanded and it should cover everyone from first to eighth grade. Children must have the opportunity for education, otherwise we condemn them to poverty“. Gutsanov was categorical that he is in a wonderful dialogue with the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister and is holding talks on these topics.
At the same time, the team of the Social Ministry is ready to take steps to tighten control of the social system, starting with payments related to TELK decisions. Minister Gutsanov and Minister Silvi Kirilov are already working on the topic.
As a step to combat the demographic crisis, the MLSP continues work on the project “I Choose Bulgaria“, which aims to return Bulgarians or people with Bulgarian identity from abroad. 40 applications have already been approved, and the total number of applications submitted is nearly 3,000.
The first applications for assistance to flood victims have already been submitted. In the first 24 hours after the adoption of the Council of Ministers' Decision for additional assistance, there were 30.
The victims have the opportunity to receive one-time disaster assistance, the maximum value of which is equal to three times the poverty line - 1914 leva. At Gutsanov's proposal, the Council of Ministers adopted a decision to allocate an additional 3000 leva to people whose only and legally built home was damaged. They have the opportunity to request up to 2500 leva for the restoration of lost equipment.
“We want to use European funding under the “Human Resources Development“ Program to provide funds to local authorities so that unemployed people can be engaged in cleaning ravines and dry rivers. This way, they can both be engaged and prevention can be carried out“, announced Minister Gutsanov.