Annual Meeting of Businesses and the Government in Sofia

The 12^th annual conference of the business with the government will be held in Sofia on 30th of January. The organisers have formulated two main topics for the discussion: “Will Bulgaria achieve sustainable growth while losing human capital?” and “How will the Bulgarian economy become attractive to those working abroad?”

Although the Bulgarian economy has been growing steadily in the recent months, business is facing a serious challenge that can limit future growth - the shortage of people. The lack of human resources is felt by more and more sectors of the economy. The enormous number of Bulgarians emigrating over the past 15 years leaves a serious shortage in the labour market, and worsening demographic indicatiors and non-competitive education exacerbate this problem, the organisers write.

Without the opportunity to grow with people, companies will be forced to freeze their investments and limit future plans for expansion and growth. The battle for talent is global and can be a major brake on the economic upturn.

The annual business meeting with the government will traditionally bring together key government officials and owners of the largest companies in Bulgaria. They will have the opportunity to discuss both government policies and business strategies that can help reverse this negative trend. The meeting takes place at the beginning of the Bulgarian EU Presidency - a good time for Bulgaria to propose a change in union’s regulations and policies in order to protect its interest.