Bulgaria S Eu Funds Absorption

This paper focuses on EU structural and cohesion funds assistance to Bulgaria during the 2007–13 program period. Initial weaknesses resulted in a low absorption rate, which was mitigated by increasing advance payments; applying electronic application and reporting procedures; simplifying and unifying tender processes; and strengthening the role of international financial institutions and banks in project preparation, evaluation and monitoring. The possible impact on growth and potential output is briefly discussed, while the risks of improper absorption are acknowledged. Valuable lessons have been learned, but it is recommended that additional steps be taken for the next program period 2014–20.

This paper focuses on EU structural and cohesion funds assistance to Bulgaria during the 2007–13 program period. Initial weaknesses resulted in a low absorption rate, which was mitigated by increasing advance payments; applying electronic application and reporting procedures; simplifying and unifying tender processes; and strengthening the role of international financial institutions and banks in project preparation, evaluation and monitoring. The possible impact on growth and potential output is briefly discussed, while the risks of improper absorption are acknowledged. Valuable lessons have been learned, but it is recommended that additional steps be taken for the next program period 2014–20.

This Selected Issues paper investigates the role of debt overhang in explaining weak nonfinancial corporate (NFC) investment in Bulgaria using firm-level data. The study confirms a negative association between measures of debt overhang and investment for Bulgarian NFCs using firm-level data. Bulgaria’s NFCs are the most leveraged among new member states. The findings suggest that high NFC debt overhang could be an important drag on investment. While credit demand is likely to pick up in line with economic activity, high NFC indebtedness could continue to stand in the way of corporate credit recovery. A possible direction for future work is to investigate the existence of different investment cycles across business activities/sectors, and their role in explaining the identified negative relationship. Policies that help reduce the corporate debt overhang could help boost credit and growth. Policy initiatives such as an efficient corporate debt restructuring framework and tax measures could help corporate deleveraging. The findings suggest that high corporate debt could be an important drag on investment.

The scope for increasing public spending to meet Bulgaria’s development needs is limited by low revenue. Increasing the efficiency of spending is, therefore, crucial. This paper discusses how this can be achieved in four areas (public investment, social protection, health, and education). The methodology is based on a triple benchmarking. First, the level of public expenditure in each category is compared to other European countries. Second, the impact of spending is assessed against other European countries. Third, the input mix is analyzed to understand what components are responsible for the level of spending and for the quality of outcomes. Based on these results, the paper provides policy options for expenditure reform.

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

Bulgaria has made solid progress in its territorial governance and socio-economic development. Yet, it has not been able to counteract large and increasing territorial disparities. Doing so will require addressing remaining structural challenges that may be limiting further transformation, government performance and regional resilience.