Bulgaria

Този доклад очертава резултатите от прегледа на процесите на публични инвестиции в България и дава препоръки за подобряване на тяхната ефективност и ефикасност. Той се фокусира върху планирането, инвестициите и изпълнението на инфраструктура на национално и общинско ниво. Докладът идентифицира какво България трябва да запази и подобри, за да гарантира, че инвестициите, направени на европейско, държавно и общинско ниво, постигат най-добро съотношение качество-цена и допринасят за благосъстоянието и жизнения стандарт на хората.

This report outlines the findings of a review of public investment processes in Bulgaria and provides recommendations for improving its effectiveness and efficiency. It focuses on infrastructure planning, investment and delivery at the national and municipal levels. The report identifies what Bulgaria should retain and improve upon to ensure that investments made at the European, State and municipal levels achieve value for money and contribute to people’s well-being and living standards.

This paper investigates the demand for language skills using data on online job vacancies in 27 European Union member countries and the United Kingdom in 2021. Evidence indicates that although Europe remains a linguistically diverse labour market, knowing English confers unique advantages in certain occupations. Across countries included in the analyses, a knowledge of English was explicitly required in 22% of all vacancies and English was the sixth most required skill overall. A knowledge of German, Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese was explicitly demanded in between 1% and 2% of all vacancies. One in two positions advertised on line for managers or professionals required some knowledge of English, on average across European Union member countries and across OECD countries in the sample. This compares with only one in ten positions for skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers and among elementary occupations.

Skills are the key to shaping a better future and central to the capacity of countries and people to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and rapidly changing world. Megatrends such as digitalisation, globalisation, demographic change and climate change are reshaping work and society, generating a growing demand for higher levels and new sets of skills.

OECD Skills Strategy projects provide a strategic and comprehensive approach to assess countries’ skills challenges and opportunities and help them build more effective skills systems. The OECD works collaboratively with countries to develop policy responses that are tailored to each country’s specific skills needs. The foundation of this approach is the OECD Skills Strategy Framework, which allows for an exploration of what countries can do better to: 1) develop relevant skills over the life course; 2) use skills effectively in work and in society; and 3) strengthen the governance of the skills system.

This report, OECD Skills Strategy Bulgaria: Assessment and Recommendations, identifies opportunities and makes recommendations to improve youth skills, improve adult skills, use skills effectively in the labour market and at work, and improve the governance of the skills system in Bulgaria.

The shrinking number of workers due to smaller young cohorts entering the labour market and large-scale outward migration are undermining Bulgaria’s growth prospects, the sustainability of its social institutions and society more widely. Bulgaria needs to provide more support for families and make staying in the country more attractive by raising productivity, fostering the creation of more good-quality formal jobs and reinforcing the social safety net. Bulgarian women have high activity rates, a high share in management jobs and a low wage gap with men, but all this translates into high opportunity costs for educated women of having children. Policies, including access to affordable quality childcare countrywide, more egalitarian burden sharing with men and greater incentives to get back to work, would help reduce those costs. Women from disadvantaged backgrounds should be offered a career path through upgrading skills and lifelong learning. Inactivity rates among the working age population should be addressed by reforms to the social welfare system that would improve activation and through targeted measures. Vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities, are disadvantaged in multiple ways and need tailored measures to escape poverty, acquire skills and integrate into the labour market.

La convergence de la Bulgarie vers les économies plus avancées s’est poursuivie, mais à un rythme plus lent. La flambée des prix de l’énergie et des produits alimentaires a porté l’inflation à son plus haut niveau depuis des décennies. Néanmoins, les trains de mesures de soutien et la forte dynamique des salaires et des pensions ont stabilisé le pouvoir d’achat. Dans la mesure où la Bulgarie utilise un système de caisse d’émission, c’est aux autorités budgétaires qu’il revient de réduire les tensions inflationnistes à court terme. La dette publique est modeste grâce à la discipline budgétaire, mais compte tenu des tensions grandissantes sur les dépenses liées au vieillissement démographique et à la nécessité d’améliorer les infrastructures ainsi que les compétences, il faudra accroître les recettes publiques en renforçant l’efficience du recouvrement des impôts et en revoyant à la hausse les taxes environnementales. Les autorités doivent continuer de combattre la corruption, qui impose des coûts de transaction élevés, en prenant des mesures plus efficaces. La stratégie de transition climatique de la Bulgarie est en cours d’élaboration. Il faut augmenter les taxes environnementales, notamment les droits d’accise sur les combustibles et les taxes sur le carbone appliquées dans les secteurs non couverts par le système d’échange de quotas d’émission de gaz à effet de serre, pour réduire l’intensité énergétique et faire baisser les émissions. La diminution de la population active due à l’arrivée de cohortes jeunes moins nombreuses sur le marché du travail et à l’émigration sape les perspectives de croissance de la Bulgarie ainsi que la viabilité de ses institutions sociales. La Bulgarie doit soutenir davantage les familles, notamment en améliorant l’accès à des services d’accueil des jeunes enfants de qualité sur tout le territoire, et inciter davantage les habitants à rester dans le pays en rehaussant la productivité, en favorisant la création d’emplois formels de qualité et en renforçant le système de protection sociale.

CHAPITRE THÉMATIQUE: AMÉLIORER L'EMPLOI ET LES REVENUS

This dataset includes pension funds statistics with OECD classifications by type of pension plans and by type of pension funds. All types of plans are included (occupational and personal, mandatory and voluntary). The OECD classification considers both funded and book reserved pension plans that are workplace-based (occupational pension plans) or accessed directly in retail markets (personal pension plans). Both mandatory and voluntary arrangements are included. The data includes plans where benefits are paid by a private sector entity (classified as private pension plans by the OECD) as well as those paid by a funded public sector entity. Data are presented in various measures depending on the variable: millions of national currency, millions of USD, thousands or unit.

This dataset comprises statistics pertaining to pensions indicators.It includes indicators such as occupational pension funds’asset as a % of GDP, personal pension funds’ asset as a % of GDP, DC pension plans’assets as a % of total assets. Pension fund and plan types are classified according to the OECD classification. Three dimensions cover this classification: pension plan type, definition type and contract type.

The Pensions at a Glance database includes reliable and internationally comparable statistics on public and mandatory and voluntary pensions. It covers 34 OECD countries and aims to cover all G20 countries. Pensions at a Glance reviews and analyses the pension measures enacted or legislated in OECD countries. It provides an in-depth review of the first layer of protection of the elderly, first-tier pensions across countries and provideds a comprehensive selection of pension policy indicators for all OECD and G20 countries.

Bulgaria’s convergence towards more advanced economies has continued but at a slower pace. Soaring energy and food prices have pushed up inflation to its highest levels in decades. However, support packages and strong momentum in wages and pensions have stabilised purchasing power. With the currency board arrangement, the onus to decrease short-term inflationary pressures is on fiscal policy. Fiscal discipline has resulted in low public debt, but growing spending pressures related to ageing, infrastructure and skills will need to be financed by greater tax collection efficiency and higher environmental taxes. The fight against corruption, which imposes high transaction costs, needs to continue by implementing more effective measures. Bulgaria’s climate transition strategy is under development. Environmental taxes, including excise taxes on fuels and carbon taxes on sectors outside of the emissions trading system need to increase to curb energy intensity and reduce emissions. The shrinking number of workers due to smaller young cohorts entering the labour market and outward migration are undermining Bulgaria’s growth prospects and the sustainability of its social institutions. Bulgaria needs to provide more support for families, including quality childcare country-wide, and make staying in the country more attractive by raising productivity, fostering the creation of good-quality formal jobs and reinforcing the social safety net.

SPECIAL FEATURE: BETTER JOBS AND INCOMES

Anti-corruption agencies must mainstream integrity policies and procedures to safeguard their activities, achieve their objectives and build public trust in their functions. This report provides concrete recommendations for strengthening Bulgaria’s Anti-Corruption Commission’s Code of Ethics and its system for undertaking integrity checks of staff. Both these issues are key to creating a culture of integrity within the organisation. The report is part of an EU-funded project under the Technical Support Instrument Regulation and highlights relevant good practices from OECD member countries and provides tailored recommendations in Bulgaria’s context.

Профилите на държавите по отношение на рака определят силните страни, предизвикателствата и специфичните области на действие за всяка от 27-те държави — членки на ЕС, Исландия и Норвегия, за да насочват инвестициите. и интервенциите на европейско, национално и регионално равнище в рамките на европейския план за борба с рака.

Всеки национален профил по отношение на рака представя в синтезиран вид: болестния товар на онкологичните заболявания в страната; тенденциите по отношение на рисковите фактори за рак (с акцент върху факторите свързани с поведението и околната среда) ; програмите за ранно откриване на онкологичните заболявания; ефективността на онкологичните грижи, с фокус върху достъпността (качеството на грижите, разходите и въздействието на COVID-19 върху грижите за пациентите с рак).

This report discusses the costs and benefits of the transition from cash to accrual accounting in the public sector for SIGMA partners in the Western Balkans and the European Neighbourhood. The countries are attracted by the promises of accrual accounting and the corresponding IPSAS standards that it will improve transparency, accountability and financial decision-making. This report investigates whether the reform towards accrual accounting is indeed recommendable given that the reform towards IPSAS-based financial statements also carries a higher administrative burden and often requires government-wide adaptation or adjustment of the financial information systems. In this report, evidence from case studies of five EU Member States and four SIGMA partners is combined with a review of the academic literature to understand the balance of the benefits versus the costs of the reform.

The OECD Centre of Government Scan of Bulgaria assesses the functioning and organisation of the centre of government (CoG) in Bulgaria. It focuses on three main areas: 1) the functions and mandates of the CoG to perform a strategic and steering role, 2) the CoG’s supportive role in decision- and policy-making systems, and 3) strategic planning and the CoG’s ability to define government priorities across government and translate them into measurable objectives. The Scan forms part of the project “Driving Public Administration Reform Forward in Bulgaria” which aims to support the implementation of Bulgaria’s reform priorities. Together with the Public Integrity Scan and Regulatory Policy Scan this policy paper forms part of the governance scan series carried out with the financial support from the European Union via the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support.

The Regulatory Policy Scan of Bulgaria assesses the country’s regulatory management capacity by taking stock of regulatory policies, institutions and tools, describing trends and recent developments, and identifying gaps in relation to good practices. Improving the entire regulatory policy cycle will ensure that regulations are developed on a foundation of solid evidence and public participation and designed to enhance citizens' security, health and wellbeing at a reasonable cost. Together with the Centre of Government Scan and Public Integrity Scan this policy paper is a part of the governance scan series drafted in the framework of the “Driving Public Administration Reform Forward” project funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support.

The policy paper provides an overview of the institutional landscape on public integrity in Bulgaria, focusing on its key co-operation mechanism – the National Council on Anti-Corruption Policy – and the way it can best serve the implementation of Bulgaria’s main strategic anticorruption document, the National Strategy for Preventing and Countering Corruption. It also addresses the institutional arrangements for integrity within entities of the executive branch and elaborates on how they can be best strengthened and supported by national integrity actors. Together with the Centre of Government Scan and Regulatory Policy Scan this policy paper is a part of the governance scan series drafted in the framework of the “Driving Public Administration Reform Forward” project funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support.

The paper is the second in a series of two papers mapping young people’s environmental sustainability competence in EU and OECD countries that were prepared as background for the forthcoming OECD Skills Outlook 2023 publication. The papers are the results of a collaboration between the OECD Centre for Skills and the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (Unit B4) on students’ environmental sustainability competence. The first paper is titled ‘Young people’s environmental sustainability competence: Emotional, cognitive, behavioural and attitudinal dimensions in EU and OECD countries.