Bulgaria's state administration was maintaining a payroll of some 130 000 and continued to hire staffers despite a pledge in the 2008 budget bill for a 12 per cent personnel cut. The new hirings are explained by the ministries of labour, finance and environmental protection with the need to build up capacity for the administration of EU funding.

The eco ministry alone has increased its payroll by 2.1 per cent instead of a 12 per cent cut. The justice ministry has increased staffers by more than five per cent. The Emergency Situations Ministry was adding staffers faster than any other state department, raising its payroll by no less than 19 per cent.

In June, State Administration Minister Nikolai Vassilev warned that the state departments that had failed to downsize as instructed will not get a 10 per cent pay raise.

Georgi Stoev, from Industry Watch think-tank, said that the recruitment of more civil servants was unlikely to sink the budget because of the sizeable reserve but the problem was that EU criticism was used to justify the resource spending.

"The hiring of new people for the EU funds is unjustified. It turns on its head the message of the EU report," Stoev said.

The ruling coalition has let go only 8300 civil servants since coming to power in 2005. Most state departments use a loophole in the Civil Servant Act which prevents the sacking of staff hired in pursuance of the said law.

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