KRIB Chairman Kiril Domuschiev
The Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (KRIB) has urged Prime Minister Rumen Radev and parliamentary groups in the 52nd National Assembly to support legislative proposals requiring certain categories of public-sector employees to pay their own social security contributions. The appeal was made in an open letter, which KRIB described as a measure with broad public backing and significant economic benefits, particularly in helping contain Bulgaria’s budget deficit and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the healthcare and pension systems.
According to the employers’ organization, the existing arrangement originated decades ago as a way to compensate public-sector workers when their salaries were substantially lower than those in the private sector. KRIB argues that this rationale no longer applies, claiming that wages in parts of the public sector now exceed those in the private economy. As a result, the organization believes the exemption has become a source of public dissatisfaction and perceptions of unequal treatment.
The business association stressed that regardless of whether the contributions are formally covered by the state, the burden ultimately falls on taxpayers and the wider economy. It argues that private-sector workers play a leading role in financing public systems and that maintaining special treatment for some public employees is increasingly difficult to justify.
