A study by the Bulgarian Outsourcing Association shows that in 2020 companies working in the IT industry in Bulgaria will be generating 6% of the gross domestic product of this country, making this sector one of the leading ones in Bulgarian economy. This was what chairman of the association, Stefan Bumov, said in Plovdiv where a business forum entitled "Outsourcing Destination Bulgaria 2016” is being held. Options for easing the regime for hiring specialists from countries outside the European Union such as Ukraine, Moldova, Macedonia and Belarus have also been discussed at the forum. Experts from these countries could help in solving the problem with shortage of software developers, experts say.