Bulgarian deputies and ministers will donate their salaries to the public health care system as long as containment measures due to the Covid-19 epidemic remain in effect, parliament decided on Monday evening.
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Deciding to extend the state of emergency that allows the government to impose containment measures until May 13, MPs showed rare unanimity in supporting a proposal by the ruling Conservative party, Gerb, to renounce to their salary from April 1.
740,000 euros in donations
This will also count for members of government and their political cabinets, as well as heads of government agencies. The donation from the deputies will amount to approximately 1.44 million leva (740,000 EUR) for the period of confinement.
Parliament voted on Monday to update the 2020 budget, adopting a 3% deficit, while a balanced budget had been voted on previously. In addition, a significant increase in unemployment, up to 6.2% is now expected, 42,000 new unemployed having registered since the start of the new coronavirus crisis.
With 549 confirmed cases and 22 coronavirus deaths, Bulgaria remains relatively unaffected by the epidemic. The poorest country in the European Union, it had taken severe containment measures since March 13 to allow its health system to cope with the epidemic.
