“Everything must be calculated specifically and come up with an anti-crisis package that is not in pieces and exactly where we currently expect the most inflationary pressure. In the energy field, the pressure is mostly under control. Bulgaria has the cheapest gasoline per column, we also have a price of electricity that is the same as July 1 last year – this is not happening anywhere in the EU.” This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev to journalists.
Gas prices for household consumers had quite large compensations, for non-household electricity consumers there were also compensations. The biggest inflationary pressures come from the food supply chain and that is where the measures should be directed. In the long run, greater inflationary pressures will come from metals, the finance minister predicted.
The annual inflation for March 2022 in Bulgaria is 12.4%, according to the National Statistical Institute.
The Deputy Prime Minister clarified that the cabinet will not ask for a change in the flat tax in Bulgaria and assured that despite inflation, there is no ambition to change the budget balance, at least at this stage.
According to him, it will take another 1-2 weeks for such a package to be prepared, but some things must comply with European regulations, such as fuel excise taxes – Bulgaria is at the minimum threshold.
“The fiscal reserve until yesterday was 8.2 billion, so there is money. There was a temporary decline when we paid off 2.7 billion in foreign debt, which we paid off. Then the tax revenues filled it,” Vassilev said, stressing that criticism is completely unfounded.
Vassilev also commented on the coalition council and pointed out that the conversation went normally.