The State Should Improve the Business Environment Dramatically Rossen Plevneliev Recommended to the Business Organizations

 

The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates Rosen Plevneliev and Margarita Popova, nominated by Political Party GERB met with the heads of the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA), the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA) and the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

The presidential institution plays huge part in the country’s foreign policy and we are not indifferent to the success of the European Union, so we would like to see a more active role of the President in this direction, the President of BCCI Tsvetan Simeonov said. “The Lisbon Strategy was not realized. The same could happen to the 2020 Strategy. Why hasn’t anyone checked who was to blame for this? Has anyone been punished?” he asked rhetorically. 

As far as the problems of refugees and immigrants are concerned, Mr. Simeonov underlined the need of special policy for Bulgarian diasporas. We have worked with 14 governments so far and we welcome the ideas for economization of the country’s foreign policy. When the President awards state medal and orders, he should not forget the contribution of distinguished business representatives, the President of BCCI recommended. 

“I come full of respect towards the organizations you represent. I know your history, international and national activities, I know your ideas. As someone coming from the real business, I know how to create and preserve jobs; I know how to win and how to lose. I am confident that politicians should not do business, but should create the conditions for doing business, and that is why the doors of the presidential institution will be wide open for you and your ideas. There can’t be a functioning economy, without a working administration, without e-government – these are all your ideas, which I embrace ardently”, the Candidate for President Rosen Plevneliev said announcing the main accents in his ruling programme. 

The candidate Presidential and Vice-Presidential pair promised to work for:

o Working and reliable administration and pragmatic presidential institution;

o Establishment of the principles of state; 

o Pragmatism in the work of the presidential institution;

o Economization of foreign policy;

o Active dialogue with representatives of the non-governmental sector.

Mr. Plevneliev undertook to establish Economic and Social Policy Council, Regional Development Council and other public-advisory bodies with the Presidential institution, where the dialogue with the civil society can be really and effectively held and the long-term goals for development of our country formulated.

According to the presidential candidate, the state should improve the business environment dramatically and all strategic documents should be integrated in order to “start speaking the same language”. “The President should set the long-term direction, relying on the ideas of the business and the non-governmental sector as a whole”, Rosen Plevneliev reckoned. “Our ideas about the economy are your ideas. I am a pragmatic man who knows that the left promises money, and the right allows people to earn their own money”, the Presidential Candidate said.

Another priority of the candidate presidential pair is economization of the foreign policy and improving the image of our country to the rest of the world. “I will do my best to make others stop seeing us as a problematic and corrupted state”, Rosen Plevneliev undertook. 

“The Presidential institution will operate differently, because we have a different profile. As a lawyer, I respect the institutions, but I know that people make the institutions and not the other way around”, the Candidate for Vice-President Margarita Popova added. She is committed to imposing a new mentality of government, based on observation of the law and the principles of the state, coordination between the authorities and encouragement of stability of the institutions. “We will assist the institutions in reconciling and starting to work together. We will not allow ideas to be adopted under pressure. As far the strategic priorities of our country are concerned, politicians should stop conforming to their party’s headquarters and start complying with the needs of society”, Mr. Popova was categorical. She emphasized the state’s engagements towards the measures to curb illegal immigration and provide shelter. According to her the provision of shelter should be controlled, in accordance with the integration capabilities of our country, which are not big. In this respect, she extended an invitation for additional meeting on the issue.

The hosts from the three business organizations expressed their satisfaction with the declared intentions to increase administrative efficiency, economization of foreign policy and improvement of the business environment. They raised the question of improving and providing more transparency in public expenditures, as well as of applying the normative requirement of mandatory impact assessment of laws, before and after they are adopted. In this respect the Executive President of BIA, Bozhidar Danev appealed: “In order for us to believe that you are defenders of lawfulness, make the Parliament observe the law!”.

According to the President of BIA, Sasho Donchev a serious revision of the legislation is needed, because it is full of remnants of socialism and there are many laws that serve only corrupt officials, but not the socio-economic development. Another problem is the discrimination of private hospitals, schools, kinder gardens, universities, etc. as compared to state ones. “All budget expenditures should be well-grounded and duly reported to the public”, Mr. Sasho Donchev said with regard to the formation and management of public funds. 

The state should be an excellent payer, and the administration should work in service to citizens and companies and not the other way around – the President of BICA, Vasil Velev requested. He raised the question of the Draft Law on Civil Confiscations, which originated from Margarita Popova. Mr. Velev underlined that the Economic and Social Council of the Republic of Bulgaria unanimously adopted a position against the draft law and expressed the opinion that this normative act violates civil and human rights and harms the business climate. Therefore, the President of BICA invited the candidate presidential and vice-presidential pair to a special discussion on the topic. 

“The public image of business needs to be rehabilitated”, Vasil Velev added. His appeal was supported by the President of BIA, Sasho Donchev according to whom “not everyone who wins tenders, is a bandit or robber”. “We can’t put everyone under the general title “rotter”. If there are people who call themselves entrepreneurs, but don’t observe the law, then this happens thanks to the support of the state, not thanks to us”, Mr. Sasho Donev was categorical. 

“For 20 years our organizations have managed to keep distance from politicians – we have always been constructive opposition; we are often harsh, but well-argued, objective and honest. This has saved us as organizations”, the Executive President of BIA, Bozhidar Danev pointed out at the end of the meeting and declared that the organizations will continue this policy in the future. 

12.10.2011