On the initiative of the Minister of Economy and Industry, meetings were held with the management of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria.
The team heading the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce raised questions about the price of electricity and the compensation mechanism, the security of natural gas supplies and changes in legislation related to the possibility of switching to alternative fuel. “We will be the voice of business both in the National Crisis Staff for energy, and also on all other topics for which important decisions are to be made,” Minister Stojanov said. He expressed his hope that employers will actively participate in the initiatives of the Ministry of Economy and Industry and that the dialogue will be deepened in all priority areas. “In days of so many trials, only together can we resist and look for opportunities for stability and growth despite the crisis,” Nikola Stojanov said.
“You are a business person and our members rely on your expertise and willingness for cooperation. I emphasise that no business wants aid from the state, but we all want justice and the opportunity to compete fairly on the European markets. We believe that the enterprises affected by the high price of electricity should be supported, and those who abuse should be sanctioned”, Dobri Mitrev said during the conversation. The President of the BCC Board informed the Minister of Economy and Industry in detail of the need to achieve a predictable price of electricity for business and the importance of the state immediately finding a mechanism for concluding long-term contracts, especially for the electricity-intensive industry.
During the meeting with the management of the Association of Industrial Capital in Bulgaria, the initiative of the official cabinet, and in particular of Minister Stojanov, to conduct a survey among enterprises regarding possible issued faced by business users as a result of a violation of natural gas supplies, was welcomed. The representatives of the employers’ organisation categorically stated that Bulgaria must adequately use the levers it has for negotiations with all possible suppliers of natural gas in order to maximise the benefits for our economy and society, without making compromises with pan-European values and belonging.
“It is extremely important for the Ministry of Economy and Industry to work closely with organisations like the AICB. We rely on your expertise. What I can promise you is that we will make maximum efforts to solve both short-term problems and to launch long-term initiatives to improve the economic situation in the country. For me personally, it is important in this short time that the official cabinet has, to show concrete results that make our economy more competitive and ready to meet all the challenges of tomorrow”, said Minister Nikola Stojanov.
During the meetings with both employers’ organisations, the issue of improving the work of Bulgaria’s commercial attachés abroad was discussed. “Improving the work model of the Offices for Trade and Economic Affairs, prioritising a list of potential countries and much more active work to promote and support Bulgarian exports. These are part of the priorities in this area, on which I plan to work as acting minister of the economy and on which we will actively seek feedback from business to find the best solutions,” said Minister Nikola Stojanov.