People who are about to retire will be left without a COVID supplement. And those with a pension now - without an update to the supplement under the Swiss rule from July. This was approved by the deputies at an extraordinary meeting of the budget committee, bTV reported and added:
Rositsa Yorgova from Veliko Tarnovo has retired and receives a minimum pension. She had a severe COVID, and was in a coma for nearly two weeks. She does not like the idea that the COVID supplement should not be updated with her pension, because she needs every cent.
„It is absolutely not fair. They were very, very useful to us“, says pensioner Rositsa Yorgova.
According to the government, cutting the Covid supplement for future pensioners and freezing its update for current ones provides more fairness and will save about 5 million euros per month.
“The so-called Covid supplements were introduced as a temporary crisis pandemic measure, as social assistance, and turning them into a permanent element violated the principle of solidarity, distorting the pension model“, the government points out.
According to the opposition, the changes to the Covid supplement are not a good idea.
“What you are proposing from July 1 – to put 2.39 euros in the pocket of every pensioner who can't even make ends meet at the end of the month, for me it is absolute cynicism and insensitivity, and politically stupid“, commented an opposition representative.
“Hardly the first measure, and an extraordinary one adopted, should be aimed at the most vulnerable part of the Bulgarian population – namely our parents, the Bulgarian pensioners“, points out another opposition representative.
“These funds are really a lot for people at the moment, when prices are galloping. When you go to the market, they can't afford many things“, commented an opposition representative. “Let's cut pensions – "It sounds wonderful, reformist, cardinal," another opposition representative commented.
The rulers explained that all pensions will be increased from July, so people will not lose purchasing power, and those with very low incomes will be supported in a targeted manner.
Despite the heated arguments, the deputies also managed to joke. "But I am puzzled that Mr. Vassilev did not utter the catchphrase: "Who ordered this outrage?"," said Goranov. “Who ordered this outrage?“, replied Vassilev.
The MPs also reduced the party subsidy to 3 euros per vote and temporarily withdrew the text for a new debt of 3.8 billion euros, explaining that it would go through the Council of Ministers.
The measures such as cutting the party subsidy and the COVID supplements that the MPs approved today are not enough to narrow the hole in the budget, Rumyana Stoilkova points out.
“Categorically – no. During the debate today, the opposition criticized that the proposed measures are extremely insufficient to deal with the deficit, and the government explained that the proposal of a more complete package of measures is yet to come“.
The data as of today indicate that the budget deficit continues to grow. As of May, it is already 2.5 billion euros, or 2% of GDP.
For comparison, as of May last year, a deficit of 1.3 billion euros, or 1.1% of GDP, was reported, according to data from the Ministry of Finance.