Headline: Former Deputy Minister of Finance Urges Parliament to Reject 2025 Budget, Citing Lack of Ambitious Revenue Measures
Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reports that Georgi Kadiev, a former Deputy Minister of Finance and member of "Normalna D लीštva," has expressed concerns about the 2025 budget proposal. Kadiev believes that the budget, in its current form, should not be approved but should also not remain in limbo.
Kadiev suggests that the budget should be sent back to the Ministry of Finance for further revisions. He argues that while the Ministry is correctly adhering to established expenditure policies, it could have been more proactive in proposing revenue-raising measures. Some of the Ministry’s proposed measures were swiftly abandoned, according to Kadiev.
He criticizes the withdrawal of plans to increase gambling tax and tax windfall profits of banks, telecommunications companies, and other sectors that have significantly increased their profits in recent years. Kadiev proposes taxing these windfall profits, as it is "natural" to expect additional taxes from such gains. He also lambasts the withdrawal of plans to tax mining enterprises and the sole remaining controversial measure – the amnesty provision.
Kadiev believes that the current process solely involves cuts to the capital program, effectively freezing the state. He expects potential public protests due to the unlikely increases in funds for the Ministry of Interior and defense. Kadiev warns that the extension of the old budget by the Parliament would lead to significant issues, stating, "The state is in complete chaos – we have no government, no budget, no revenues, and on top of that, we’re discussing how we’ll join the eurozone at every turn, which is absurd."
Kadiev dismisses Bulgaria‘s chances of joining the eurozone, citing instability in inflation, failure to meet criteria consistently, and the country’s political chaos. He questions the wisdom of rushing into the eurozone with a substantial gray economy, arguing that such a move could exacerbate issues.
He is skeptical about the plan to merge the National Revenue Agency (NAP) and the Customs Agency, viewing it as an attempt to gain full control over NAP. Kadiev warns that such a merger could lead to numerous problems due to the agencies’ differing structures, compositions, and regulations.
Kadiev expresses dismay at the delay in calling for fresh elections, stating that Bulgaria is "flying towards the abyss at high speed." He believes that the responsibility lies with the citizens, who must understand that their choice in the elections will determine the country’s future.
