Budget Research
2012
Although containing reasonable proposals, aimed at addressing current deficiencies in the European economies, the new MFF also poses a multitude of dangers, with its bloated expenditures and the EC’s desire for greater independence and centralization. The analysis concludes that the Bulgarian government should defend its positions on certain issues more ardently, while making a complete revision of its standing on other points.The analysis discusses the changes that the EU is planning to implement in the upcoming MFF, explores the reasons behind them and makes conclusions about their effect on the Bulgarian economy. The main points of interest include the basic structure of the MFF, the proposed reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, the heading for Smart and Inclusive Growth and the way the budget is financed.
Bulgarian Governments Extra Expenditures 2000 – 2007
2008
A larger fraction of the 6.5 billion leva, around 4.6 billion, have been suggested by the finance minister and approved by the Council of Minister. Information on the expenditures is rather skimpy and it is almost impossible to notice any results. Thus, the expenditures can be hardly defended.For the period 2000-2007 the total sum of the additionally approved budget credits totals a bit more than 6.5 billion leva. Broken down yearly, on average the sum is a bit more than 2% of the GDP. Almost 900 million leva of them have been approved by the so called Reserve for unforeseen and urgent expenditures. These funds are spent on structural reforms, on prevention and elimination of disasters’ aftermaths, as well as for fiscal stability.The positive results from the followed fiscal policy lead to unprecedented income to the national treasury that significantly exceeds the plan. Exactly this “unexpected” extra income lies at the base of the state’s extra spending. In recent years the Bulgarian government always finds a way to spend more than what has been put in the national budget.
Expected Long-Term Budgetary Benefits to Roma Education in Bulgaria
2007
When considering the results of this study one should bear in mind that investing into one child education will have long-term benefits not only for the child itself, but to the entire society. We anticipate the benefits to the society from such an investment in a narrow sense – the fiscal benefits to the budget in the form of more payments (social security contributions, personal income tax, indirect taxes) and less transfers from the budget to citizens (welfare payments, public employment programs, unemployment benefits and costs of incarceration). The overall effect of investment in education is expected to be net budgetary benefits. These budgetary benefits are equivalent to return of investment in education and in such way can be viewed as return similar to various financial investments. Respectively, the idea is to consider the government as an investor that anticipates returns from an investment project called Investing in Roma children education.
