The Labour and Social Policy Ministry ensured a 40 million leva loan from the World Bank for a human resources development programme, Labour and Social Policy Minister Emilia Maslarova said.

The programme will be launched in 2007. Most funds would be directed to labour market development, Darik Radio reported.

Bulgaria’s annual unemployment report will be ready in February. Maslarova said that the level of unemployment is expected to remain below 10 per cent.

Maslarova said that some of the ministry’s priorities in 2007 would be taking unemployment down to nine per cent and providing work for 87 000 people.

These people will find employment based on some of the ministry’s programmes, Maslarova said.

In the end of 2006 the ministry created a council to examine and deal with the problems of pensioners in Bulgaria, said Maslarova. A pension system update was also likely to be implemented in 2007, Darik reported.