The Ministry of Finance spent nearly BGN 700,000 (BGN 681,844) on the information campaign for the euro. This is clear from the department's response to an inquiry by Economic.bg, sent under the Law on Access to Public Information (PAI).
The information campaign in question was long awaited after a number of departments and organizations, including The Ministry of Finance, the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), commercial banks, insurers, etc., have become the object of criticism due to the lack of clarity about what is next for Bulgarian citizens after joining the Eurozone.
The process of adopting the single European currency is complex and long, and until the campaign it was not clear how exactly the two currencies would turn.
Among people, there were concerns about what would happen to their wages, pensions, paper money, and there was even speculation that our exchange rate to the euro – which, due to the presence of a currency board, is marked in the memory of Bulgarians as forever 1.95583 – it can change and we become impoverished sharply.
These concerns were somewhat disproved, and the clouds of doubt – distracted after the Council of Ministers decided to create an information campaign about the euro in 2022.
The biggest expense is the purchase of program time in the three largest television stations in our country – BNT, bTV and Nova – for which BGN 486,856 went. With them, the ministry broadcast information clips about the campaign for the introduction of the single European currency in our country. The department paid BGN 27,000 just for the creation of the videos in question. Three 30-second and three 15-second videos for the introduction of the euro in Bulgarian and in English were received against them, as well as additional digital elements, such as a slogan, logo, hats etc.
In second place as a pen “Events Economic and Social Council (ESS) to the National Assembly” BGN 100,000 were spent. They were used for the purpose of discussion, organizing events and adopting a Resolution of the ISS (note ed. – of the civil society structures for economic and social development of the country, as is clear from the Council's website).
In third place as an expense is the holding of conferences with international participation, for which equipment is also hired. BGN 45,422 went to this pen.
Deputies adopted the law on the introduction of the euro
Another BGN 20,490 was used to create a logo and slogan, and BGN 1,800 was paid for fees to the country's Patent Office. Finally, 216 BGN were paid for a subscription to the design platform Canva.
The replacement of the leva with the euro will affect every person living in or traveling to and from Bulgaria. Therefore, good information to the public about the introduction of the new currency is of crucial importance for the successful running of the process, the MoF told Economic.bg.
Therefore, they add that the campaign will be aimed at providing “accurate, accessible, understandable, timely and comprehensive information on all practical aspects of the introduction of the euro, including Bulgaria's readiness for its adoption and the replacement process of leva with euro (rate, time periods, price, responsible institution)“.