"Progressive Bulgaria" Calls for an Audit of Expenditures on Pensions, Benefits, and Administration

Progressive Bulgaria has called for an audit of spending on pensions, supplements and public administration, including the application of the Swiss indexation rule, covering the period from 2020 to May 2026. The announcement was made by party representatives during a briefing at the Parliament on June 29.

A draft resolution has been submitted requesting that the National Audit Office carry out the review. The proposal is expected to be discussed by Parliament's Budget Committee on Tuesday.

The audits will cover the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the National Social Security Institute. A separate draft resolution calls for an audit of state budgets covering the period from 2020 to May 2026.

The National Audit Office will also be tasked with reviewing expenditure by the Road Infrastructure Agency.

"We made a commitment to the Bulgarian people to carry out a comprehensive fiscal review. We are relying on an institutional and professional approach, rather than setting up a parliamentary committee, which often has more of a public relations effect," said Konstantin Prodanov, chair of Parliament's Budget Committee.

He added that the purpose of the audit was not "a witch-hunt", but "a dissection of the public finances".

Stefan Belchev, chair of the Committee on Economic Policy, said the review would examine public finances from 2020 to May 2026, focusing on personnel expenditure, decisions to expand the public administration, and why labour policies have failed to offset rising costs.

The audits are due to be completed by 30 September.