More Funding for Children and Families in Next Budget" Finance Minister Says

More money for children and families will be included in the next budget. This was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Galab Donev, who opened the new school year at the 35th School in Sofia. He said a comprehensive social package was being prepared.

With the new budget, the Finance Ministry will seek to reduce the deficit from the previously projected 3.8% to 3%.

At the same time, more funding will be allocated to children and families. According to data from the National Statistical Institute, 33.1% of children in Bulgaria were at risk of poverty last year. Without social transfers, the figure rises to more than 40%.

Regardless of their social and financial circumstances, most parents in Bulgaria make sacrifices to ensure their children can attend school. Ivo and Polina from Varna run their own business and have three children.

Ivo Iliev: “From fifth to seventh grade, there is what is known as the major preparation for the matriculation exams, which, broadly speaking, costs about as much as an apartment. During that time, we have cut out all unnecessary spending – travel, holidays, everything we can – because these are very expensive lessons, let’s not kid ourselves, almost entirely private, so that the children can prepare properly.”

Polina Kotseva: “At one point, you have to buy a whole load of school uniforms – for one child, then another, then the third – as well as a lot of educational materials, which become more expensive every year.”

The family decided that a summer holiday abroad would be too expensive and opted instead for a shorter break in Bulgaria.

Ivo Iliev: “So that during the school year we can buy these children trainers that cost twice as much, backpacks that cost twice as much, textbooks and educational materials that cost twice as much, and everything that comes in multiples. Not to mention that the situation is even more difficult now for every Bulgarian parent, because food for these children also comes in multiples, medical care comes in multiples too, and it is increasingly scarce, particularly in smaller towns.”

In Blagoevgrad, the situation is no different.

“Even the purchase we made just now seemed a little more expensive to me. We bought 18 exercise books, 20 book covers, markers because she likes to highlight things, and some additional items. I paid €40. We saved money by buying cheaper trainers.”

According to national statistics, almost one in three children in Bulgaria live in conditions of material deprivation. The largest group are children whose families cannot afford a holiday, whose parents cannot pay for extracurricular activities such as music and sport, while more than 16% do not have two pairs of new shoes.

Galab Donev, Finance Minister: “Minister Efremova and I are working to propose a social package through the budget that will enable us to support children and families.”

Donev said calculations would be made for increases in all social payments.

Galab Donev, Finance Minister: “You will see that there is no area in which the parameters will remain unchanged.”

This includes an increase in the minimum wage, which is expected to be in the range of €620 to €672.

Galab Donev, Finance Minister: “We are doing everything possible for the minimum wage to be closer to the upper end of that range.”

The new budget is expected to be ready by 15 October.