Dramatic differences in the increase in salaries in the state administration and a lack of transparency in the spending of 1.6 billion leva are discovered in the draft budget for 2025 by the co-chair of the PP-DB, Assen Vassilev.
The former finance minister is sounding the alarm about serious shortcomings in the draft state budget submitted by the caretaker government. According to him, the most worrying fact is that there is no specifics on what significant financial resources will be spent.
"There is indeed a large "pocket" set aside for expenses made by decree of the Council of Ministers, in which, unlike all budgets since 2021, it is not announced exactly what these funds will be spent on," Vassilev pointed out.
He drew attention to the fact that the draft budget lacks Article 1, paragraph 5, which traditionally indicates the purpose of the funds allocated by decision of the Council of Ministers. According to him, it usually includes funds for compensation for parents with children without places in kindergartens, sports and art programs in schools, as well as funding for the "Culture" Fund and the "Scientific Research" Fund.
Vassilev is particularly critical of the increase in salaries in the state administration. "We see a budget that has been submitted with an extremely inflated expenditure part, especially in the part related to salaries of the state administration", he commented.
The PP-DB co-chairman highlighted the drastic differences in the planned salary increase - while for doctors and teachers it is between 13 and 14 percent, and in some ministries - 9 percent, other departments receive an increase of 60-70 percent, with the highest reaching 75 percent.