Budget and Finance Committee of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation Meets to Discuss the Parameters of Next Year’s Budget

The Budget and Finance Committee of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation is meeting to discuss the parameters of next year’s budget, which was published late yesterday afternoon.

The draft budget forecasts record revenues and expenditures. The planned new government debt for next year reaches €10.5 billion, while social security contributions are set to increase by 10%. Excise duties on tobacco and tobacco products will also rise.

• Budget 2026: The first in euros, with record revenues and expenditure

Among the main measures expected to generate additional revenues are an increase in dividend tax; higher gambling fees for certain segments; a 2-percentage-point rise in social security contributions.

The largest portion of the new revenue, €601.2 million, is expected to come from higher insurance contributions, which will in turn reduce the transfer from the state budget to the National Social Security Institute (NSSI).

Dobrin Ivanov from the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria told BNT’s “More from the Day” programme that, in his view, both revenue and expenditure projections are unrealistically inflated.

“Budget 2026 is an exercise in accounting acrobatics, without reforms or efficiency gains,” he said.

The business community has sharply criticised the Finance Ministry for once again publishing the budget at the last moment ahead of the tripartite council discussions.