Bulgaria’s cabinet has adopted the framework of the 2022 state budget, Premier Kiril Petkov and this country’s Minister of Energy Alexander Nikolov announced at a joint briefing after the extraordinary sitting of the government. In Premier Kiril Petkov’s words, the 2022 state budget is a budget of economic growth. Investments by the state will increase from 2.1% of the GDP to 5.8% of the GDP. The budget deficit including the Covid-19 measures will amount to 4.1% of the GDP. 

Kindergartens will be free-of-charge as of April, Premier Petkov promised. No pensioners will be living under the poverty line, Kiril Petkov further said. All measures aimed at providing financial assistance to businesses, including the 60:40 wage support scheme, will continue in the next 6 months. The policies aimed to shield companies against high electricity prices will continue as well. “The new budget focuses on capital investment and human capital. It will make sure no one is left under the poverty line”, Premier Petkov summarized. The new budget has to be voted in Parliament.