The finance minister asked Parliament to allow the caretaker government to negotiate the RSP and structure the 2025 Budget

The caretaker government has always stated that the main priority is the holding of fair elections and the preservation of the financial stability of the country and sustainability of public finances, said the caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Lyudmila Petkova today at a briefing in the Ministry of Finance on the occasion of the preparation of the National medium-term fiscal and structural plan for the period 2025-2028 and the budgetary procedure for the preparation of the budget for 2025. The executive director of the NRA, Rumen Specov, and the director of the Customs Agency, Georgi Dimov, were also present at the briefing, BTA reported.

Petkova presented results of an analysis of public revenues and expenditures for the period 2022-2024, which showed an increase in expenditures, stressing that this report was prepared without any political element.

"The conclusion that can be drawn from the analysis is that the growth rate of expenses is significantly ahead of the growth rate of revenues, including revenues from the recovery plan" (National Recovery and Sustainability Plan), said Petkova.

She called for a mandate to be given to the caretaker government to finish the negotiations on the NRSP, as the country risks losing billions of BGN.

"The purpose of the analysis is to find the factors that have an impact on revenues and expenses in order to identify measures that will contribute to investments while respecting fiscal sustainability," said Petkova. She also added that Bulgaria is the only country that has not provided amendments to the plan (NRSP), as well as the content of the REPower.EU chapter (relating to energy and the energy transition - note ed.).

"I want to appeal to the political parties to organize a debate in the National Assembly to grant a mandate to the caretaker government to finish the negotiations with the EU, since the funds that Bulgaria will lose are in the amount of billions of leva," she said.

"The budget for 2025 should guarantee the country's financial sustainability in the medium term. In this regard, the best solutions must be found. The caretaker government expresses its readiness to discuss with political parties, employers and trade unions to find the best solutions for Bulgaria Petkova added.