My goal in the proposals to the Ministry of Finance for the minimum wage (MW) will be to have the maximum amount - 672.80 euros.
This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by Natalia Efremova, Minister of Labor and Social Policy, specifying that calculations are already being made for the possible levels and amounts of the MW:
"This is part of the large budget, since the MW affects both the revenue and expenditure parts of the state budget and all parameters of the overall budget will be taken into account, not just the one that is part of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, in order to make the final decision. But in any case, our goal will be to get as close as possible to the high threshold of the formula that was just defined with the amendment to the Labor Code. We are currently still in a procedure in which we are about to adopt an amendment to the Regulation on the Structure and Organization of Wage. Once these changes are adopted, which provide the very specific dimensions of the formula, it will be possible to proceed with the adoption of the Council of Ministers' decree on the minimum wage.
According to the Minister of Social Affairs, according to official statistics, about 450 thousand people are employed on a minimum wage:
"And here we begin to overlay data on the levels of the shadow economy. We have a long-standing calculation made by one of the representative organizations of employers, and they calculate that about 25% is the share of the shadow economy. A very large part of it is formed precisely in the way in which wages are paid. Social security contributions are charged to the MHR, and the rest is money in an envelope. They do not realize how important it is to clarify income, because this affects our daily lives today, when we need all payments - sick pay, maternity, family benefits, additional supplements.
The most important thing for the MLSP in Budget 2027 will be to ensure all payments for people who are in a vulnerable situation, Minister Efremova categorically stated and added that "all these vulnerabilities will be addressed with impact measures".
The Social Ministry plans for 2027 to have an increase in the funds allocated for the second year of maternity, Minister Efremova also announced and specified that at the moment this payment will not be tied to social security income, but will remain a fixed amount.
In the program "Nedelya 150" The Minister of Social Policy emphasized that the personal assistance mechanism is being reviewed, and changes will be sought in the direction of its professionalization.
Natalia Efremova pointed out that there is an increase in the number of personal assistants, which in 2019 were 19 thousand, and to date their number exceeds 80 thousand.
The government is discussing all options for limiting the use of social networks by children up to a certain age, the Minister of Social Policy said and explained:
"The European Commission has also taken such a course for a ban with certain parameters. Obviously, there is a need to limit access to a certain type of social networks. But the more important issue is the fight against disinformation and teaching children to understand the difference between virtual and real. This already extends to moral concepts such as good and bad. That is, it's about alternatives that we have to create, maintain, keep working and looking after our children, being there for them, as is required of every parent. The topic is very complex. Obviously, we will move towards a certain type of ban".