Christmas 2009 may be a somewhat chillier for Bulgaria’s pensioners and public servants, with Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov warning that there is scant chance of them being given the traditional seasonal bonuses.
 
Previous governments have given "13^th cheques" to the country’s elderly and employees on the public payroll, but at its first Christmas in office, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Government is unlikely to be able to continue the tradition – even though, especially in the cases of pensioners, the sums previously have tended to be paltry.
 
Speaking in Kurdjali on October 15, Dyankov, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said that although the Budget deficit was being reduced, money coming into public coffers from revenue and excise would go mainly to health care and infrastructure as items of priority spending.
 
The Government wanted to complete some infrastructure projects before the winter weather set in, Bulgarian National Television quoted Dyankov as saying.
 
"I cannot afford additional costs this year," he said.
 
Pressed on whether this meant there would be no Christmas bonuses from the Government, Dyankov said that this was "unlikely".
 
He also warned that municipalities should not expect additional state subsidies, even though municipal budgets had accumulated a collective deficit of more than 300 million leva.
 
About three to five more months of belt-tightening were expected, after which increased revenues should bring some relief, with stability and an exit from the economic crisis projected for spring 2010, Dyankov said.