Bulgarian Parliament Passes 2024 State Budget Spending Items On Second Reading

The National Assembly made significant strides on Thursday, greenlighting key spending allocations from the 2024 State Budget Bill during the second reading:

• Fiscal reserve set at a minimum of BGN 4.5 billion until the end of 2024;
• Government debt capped at BGN 48 billion by the year's end, with a limit of BGN 11.7 billion on new debt for 2024;
• Political parties slated to receive a state subsidy of BGN 8 per vote from the most recent parliamentary elections;
• One-off allowances for school students in eighth grade and children in specific grades;
• Family allowances linked to childbirth;
• Additional monthly aid for children with substantial disabilities until age 18;
• State-owned higher education institutions permitted a maximum debt of BGN 20 million for specific projects;
• Public-financed organizations in state or municipal buildings exempted from paying rent;
• Approved subsidies to municipalities for delegated central government activities, including figures for major cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, and Stara Zagora.