Union representatives and employers in Bulgaria called for corporate tax reduction from the current 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

Employers also requested tax relief for investment in the training of employees, head of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) Zhelyazko Hristov said.

CITUB and the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIB) signed an agreement for co-operation, Bulgarian News Agency BTA reported.

CEIB co-chairperson Ivo Prokopiev said that businesses should stimulate officials to make Bulgaria the European 'tax champion' through a decrease in corporate taxation.

Bulgarian businesses were going to save nearly 150 million leva from such decision and it was going to create favourable atmosphere for foreign investment, Prokopiev said.

Representatives of the organisations also discussed social security payment and the ratio for which employers are responsible. Employers should provide 65 per cent of the amount and the other 35 per cent should be responsibility of the employees.