THE Cabinet has approved a salary increase of 3.5 per cent for the public sector, effective from January 1 this year.
The wage increase is in line with the budget, and the difference between the previous and new wage for January will be paid at the end of this month or the next.
The Cabinet decision followed an agreement two days earlier between the Government social council and union representatives.
Meanwhile, the National Statistical Institute announced that the average household income per capita in Bulgaria amounted to 185.49 leva in December, which is 42.90 leva more compared with the same month in the previous year.
The average household income in December 2002 was 515.64 leva compared to 409.52 leva a year earlier. Wages made up 40.8 per cent of the gross household income in December, or about 210.14 leva.
Christmas bonuses on salaries and pensions were spent mainly on payment of utility bills - heating, phone and water supply, as well as on food and transport. Electricity, heating and water supply spending averaged 70.67 leva, health care spending averaged 14.56 leva, and transport expenditures 20.01 leva.
The average per household expenditures for food rose by 15 per cent, NSI said. The consumption of all essential foods rose compared with the same month of 2001. The consumption of meat increased by 20 per cent, fruit by 46 per cent, while yoghurt consumption grew by over 18 percent.
Household expenditures in December averaged 484.89 leva, up from 395.21 leva in December 2001. Food accounted for 43.5 per cent of consumers' expenditures, or about 210.69 leva, compared to 49.5 per cent a year earlier.
According to the 2001 census, only 27 per cent of Bulgarian households have a cooker, refrigerator and washing machine while almost 30 per cent have only a cooker and a refrigerator.
Two-thirds of the urban households have a car, the percentage of car owners in villages being 25 per cent. A tenth of the households in Bulgaria owns a mobile phone and every fifth Bulgarian household owns a PC.
The wage increase is in line with the budget, and the difference between the previous and new wage for January will be paid at the end of this month or the next.
The Cabinet decision followed an agreement two days earlier between the Government social council and union representatives.
Meanwhile, the National Statistical Institute announced that the average household income per capita in Bulgaria amounted to 185.49 leva in December, which is 42.90 leva more compared with the same month in the previous year.
The average household income in December 2002 was 515.64 leva compared to 409.52 leva a year earlier. Wages made up 40.8 per cent of the gross household income in December, or about 210.14 leva.
Christmas bonuses on salaries and pensions were spent mainly on payment of utility bills - heating, phone and water supply, as well as on food and transport. Electricity, heating and water supply spending averaged 70.67 leva, health care spending averaged 14.56 leva, and transport expenditures 20.01 leva.
The average per household expenditures for food rose by 15 per cent, NSI said. The consumption of all essential foods rose compared with the same month of 2001. The consumption of meat increased by 20 per cent, fruit by 46 per cent, while yoghurt consumption grew by over 18 percent.
Household expenditures in December averaged 484.89 leva, up from 395.21 leva in December 2001. Food accounted for 43.5 per cent of consumers' expenditures, or about 210.69 leva, compared to 49.5 per cent a year earlier.
According to the 2001 census, only 27 per cent of Bulgarian households have a cooker, refrigerator and washing machine while almost 30 per cent have only a cooker and a refrigerator.
Two-thirds of the urban households have a car, the percentage of car owners in villages being 25 per cent. A tenth of the households in Bulgaria owns a mobile phone and every fifth Bulgarian household owns a PC.
