A FEW days before the expected debate in Parliament on a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet, a report by Labour and Social Policy Minister Hristina Hristova was delivered to the public in an attempt to clear any doubt over the Cabinet’s success.
Between the start of the mandate of the current Government in 2001 and 2004, unemployment in the country has dropped from 18.8 per cent to 12.6 per cent and the minimum monthly wage has grown nearly two-fold, Hristova said on February 8.
She was speaking at a news conference held to report the results of the social policy of the ruling National Movement Simeon II (NMSII).
In 2001, the minimum wage was 85 leva a month and in 2005 it is 150 leva. The average pension increased by 45 per cent to 133 leva, the guaranteed minimum income rose to 55 leva from 40 leva and the benefits for disabled children from 28 to 105 leva per month, Hristova said.
Until the end of its term later this year the Labour and Social Ministry will be working on nine new programmes. Of these, Hristova mentioned the opening of 20 of the so-called “family centers” – daycare centres for children younger than four – in the homes of jobless nurses or teachers. The government offers such women a monthly wage of 220 leva.
Hristova’s ministry is also expanding a programme called “Personal and Social Assistant” under which long-term unemployed, family members or others take care of disabled people.
Beginning the second term in public schools, a new programme targets an increase in school attendance. The programme will secure free textbooks and snack to students from first to fourth grade, and school buses for primary-level students who go to school in another village or town. This initiative was approved by Government on February 2.
Also, 10 facilities for protection of families and children at risk will open, as well as 12 “protected homes” for youth with mental disabilities.
Another thing Hristova was happy about was that administrative measures taken in 2004, brought to light 300 000 employment contract, which means that the grey economy is declining.
However, Hristova’s optimism is not shared by non-governmental organisations. The level of the grey economy in the country remains relatively high, according to a survey carried out between November 2002 and November 2004 by the Center for the Study of Democracy and Vitosha Research.
The research, a product of the Hidden Economy Monitoring System of Coalition 2000, was made public in Sofia on February 1.
The period under review did not show a substantial change from the previous study (2003) findings about the overall share of the hidden economy.
In 2003, the study team found a tangible curtailing of the manifestations of the hidden economy in labour relations as a result of the measures to bring to light illegal workers and crack down of malpractices. Last year, however, saw a new increase of cases where employers were understating the wages they pay to workers and hence paying less for social security.
In general, the share of people doing legal but unregistered work has gone down in the past two years, the report shows. One of the most notable trends is a persistent drop in cases where no tax documents are issued for the sale of goods or services.
At the level of households, people continue to pay on time their bills despite the disruption it causes on the household budget. There have been no changes as regards people’s savings: over two-thirds have none. This last trend goes to show that the real-term incomes of the population are still too slow to grow.
Between the start of the mandate of the current Government in 2001 and 2004, unemployment in the country has dropped from 18.8 per cent to 12.6 per cent and the minimum monthly wage has grown nearly two-fold, Hristova said on February 8.
She was speaking at a news conference held to report the results of the social policy of the ruling National Movement Simeon II (NMSII).
In 2001, the minimum wage was 85 leva a month and in 2005 it is 150 leva. The average pension increased by 45 per cent to 133 leva, the guaranteed minimum income rose to 55 leva from 40 leva and the benefits for disabled children from 28 to 105 leva per month, Hristova said.
Until the end of its term later this year the Labour and Social Ministry will be working on nine new programmes. Of these, Hristova mentioned the opening of 20 of the so-called “family centers” – daycare centres for children younger than four – in the homes of jobless nurses or teachers. The government offers such women a monthly wage of 220 leva.
Hristova’s ministry is also expanding a programme called “Personal and Social Assistant” under which long-term unemployed, family members or others take care of disabled people.
Beginning the second term in public schools, a new programme targets an increase in school attendance. The programme will secure free textbooks and snack to students from first to fourth grade, and school buses for primary-level students who go to school in another village or town. This initiative was approved by Government on February 2.
Also, 10 facilities for protection of families and children at risk will open, as well as 12 “protected homes” for youth with mental disabilities.
Another thing Hristova was happy about was that administrative measures taken in 2004, brought to light 300 000 employment contract, which means that the grey economy is declining.
However, Hristova’s optimism is not shared by non-governmental organisations. The level of the grey economy in the country remains relatively high, according to a survey carried out between November 2002 and November 2004 by the Center for the Study of Democracy and Vitosha Research.
The research, a product of the Hidden Economy Monitoring System of Coalition 2000, was made public in Sofia on February 1.
The period under review did not show a substantial change from the previous study (2003) findings about the overall share of the hidden economy.
In 2003, the study team found a tangible curtailing of the manifestations of the hidden economy in labour relations as a result of the measures to bring to light illegal workers and crack down of malpractices. Last year, however, saw a new increase of cases where employers were understating the wages they pay to workers and hence paying less for social security.
In general, the share of people doing legal but unregistered work has gone down in the past two years, the report shows. One of the most notable trends is a persistent drop in cases where no tax documents are issued for the sale of goods or services.
At the level of households, people continue to pay on time their bills despite the disruption it causes on the household budget. There have been no changes as regards people’s savings: over two-thirds have none. This last trend goes to show that the real-term incomes of the population are still too slow to grow.
