Leaders of the ruling tripartite coalition met to discuss key issues including Budget 2007 framework and the measures undertaken to deal with European Commission criticism on Bulgarias readiness to join the EU in January 2007.
Sergei Stanishev from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), Simeon Saxe-Coburg from the National Movement Simeon II (NMSII) and Ahmed Dogan from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) discussed key national issues over six hours yesterday.
Budget 2007 needs to have a macroeconomic framework, based on EU policies. It is expected to be the first national budget of Bulgaria as EU member state.
In the beginning of 2007 Bulgaria needed to make the first payment for the common European budget, totaling 624 million leva, Stanishev said.
The draft budget was made for 51 billion leva GDP and a 4.4 per cent average inflation.
According to prognoses the budget income would be 41.7 per cent of the GDP. The expected expenditure would reach 40.95 per cent. Economists said the likely budget surplus would be 0.8 per cent of the GDP.
Bulgaria expects to see 2.7 billion euro in direct foreign investment, Stanishev said.
Stanishev said the lowest pensions could increase. The non-taxable minimum monthly income would be 200 leva, leaders of the ruling coalition decided.
