BGN 933 (EUR 477.04) is the minimum wage in Bulgaria, said Minister of Finance Assen Vassilev at the meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. According to him, Bulgaria is at the bottom of the Balkans in terms of the minimum wage, reports BNT.

In Montenegro, the minimum wage is 532 euro this year, in North Macedonia it is already 483 euro and in Serbia it is 547 euro, Vassilev said. "We have an obligation not to allow the formation of ghettos with low wages, low quality of work and abandoned regions. This happens in developed countries when there is a scissors effect," the minister said. He said the budget should lead to a permanent increase in pensions without changing tax rates. The projected deficit is 3% according to the Maastricht criteria for joining the eurozone. 

During the discussions, the tripartite partners did not reach an agreement on the budgets of the National Health Insurance Fund and the State Social Insurance Fund, BNR reporter Marta Mladenova said.

Unanimity was not reached on the state budget for 2024. Finance Minister Assen Vassilev said that the goal was to have the budget finally adopted by December 22, BNT reported.