Mrs. Emilia Maslarova, Minister of Labour and Social Policy

Mrs. Emilia Maslarova graduated from the University of National and World Economy, specialized at the Institute of Economics at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and was awarded PhD in Economics.

She worked as a senior research associate and head of a section at the Ministry of Economy and Planning (1989-1990). From 1990 to 1991, Mrs. Maslarova was Minister of Employment and Social Affairs in Andrei Lukanov-led B cabinet, and chair of the Democratic Women's Union in 1992.

1995-1997, Emilia Maslarova headed the Foreign Aid Agency. She was MP in the 38th and 39th National Assemblies. From 2001 to 2005, Mrs. Maslarova was deputy chair of the Labour and Social Policy Committee and member of the Healthcare Committee at the National Assembly.

Emilia Maslarova was appointed Minister of Labour and Social Policy in August 2005.

Not only because of the focus of her scholarly and career interests but perhaps also because she is a woman, Minister Maslarova knows each corner of the "yard" of her ministry, she is aware of all existing problems, the process of their solution, the work remaining to be done. Furthermore (and this is the most important) she has a clear vision on how and with which partners these ends will be achieved.

In her speech to the meeting of Bulgaria-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee (November 28, 2005 in Brussels), Minister of Labour and Social Policy Emilia Maslarova placed a special emphasis on the employment of disadvantaged people, the improvement of children's welfare, the integration of people with specific abilities, enhancing the quality of life of mentally disabled people, and the social inclusion of minorities. The enumerated lines indisputably have paramount importance in meeting the requirements and criteria for EU membership. Perhaps even more importantly, these are all spheres in which until recently the state had a leading role, a role that fitted more in the definitions of “social care” than in those of social policy.

In the new realities of increasing social needs and diminishing public resources, the need of unifying the synergy and capacities of various partners is obvious. This also means understanding on all levels that the state is not a donor but a public contract in which everyone has their role – the citizens, the institutions, and the economy. Fostering employment of disadvantaged people – people with disabilities, long-term unemployed with lost labour skills, and persons excluded from the labour market – also integrates them in society. What is more, instead of relying on social benefits they create value added and economic goods. The development of the childcare system along with protecting the rights of the children also multiplies public resource.

The Minister of Labour and Social Policy believes that finding resolution to the issues will introduce order in our own state and that Bulgaria's full-right membership in the European Union will be one of the crowning results.

Minister Maslarova, what will be the key accents in the work of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in view of the leading home priorities – the needs and the expectations of the Bulgarian society – and those outlined in the Monitoring Report of the European Commission? In some points they overlap...
They may overlap but they also differ. Part of the priorities outlined by the Monitoring Report of the EC cannot be resolved within the span of a single year. We are working on them, but there is still a lot to be done in the next few years.

The employment problems top the commitments of the Labour Ministry. We are convinced that a country, which acts as a social crutch, can hardly progress ahead. The Ministry will focus on the decrease of unemployment rate, which by the way this October marked its lowest level in the last decade – 10.46%, the annual 2005 level averaging 12%. However, our key accent will fall on fostering and increasing employment. The government as well as the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy have set themselves a very ambitious aim – the creation of 240,000 permanent jobs during the entire mandate period. According to the resources set, in our 2006 Programme and budget we also envision an increase of employment rate up to 58%, the present level of employment being 56.3%.

The country is utilising all means to optimise the employment programmes. Too much money, over M 200, is spent on programmes, however, the question is in their efficiency. Let's take as an example the qualification and the re-qualification trainings – will the people, who receive this training, fall in with the requirements of the labour market? Will they comply with the demands of the businesses? Will they be needed or not? Do we need to invest money and training in sectors and spheres that will not be developed? That is why we have agreed with the employers that they would inform us on their future employment priorities, the directions in which their activities will develop, and their needs in the various regions, so that we can bind the funds with the trainings under the programmes.

Low-qualified people form a larger proportion at the labour exchange. This put to the test the very policy of the state in the field of employment. We are making serious efforts in this direction as well – including with the National Chamber of Crafts – in providing crafts training.

We are optimising the programme “From Social Welfare to Employment”. We have agreed with the municipalities to set as their priority long-term employment and not community and public services. Here I would like to point out that the four-hour working day is no longer available under this programme. The employed under it will have a full-time, eight-hour day. The six-hour working day will remain in forestry and agriculture where the conditions are different.

Again in the light of employment but also relating to our social elements, job seekers (here, of course, we are talking about those capable and in good-health) will not be on the dole unless they present to the social services a document certifying at least five days of community service in a given municipality, village or regional centre.

We have a programme for personal assistants, employment programmes for young people as well as many others with which we stimulate employers to create jobs.

As for the Monitoring Report, one of the key issues, which is of our concern, is the deinstitutionalization. There are also requirements related to improving the living conditions in the specialized institutions. These are important, highly dynamic issues, which, however, can be achieved only with a lot of money. The social institutions need to be repaired and renovated. Deinstitutionalization means building up day care centres, rehabilitation centres, protected housing. All these necessitate an ambitious investment programme. In 2005 over M 27 BGN have been absorbed under the Social Investment Fund (SIF). Only a few days ago we signed a donation agreement with the Dutch Government, amounting to EUR 2,200,000. BGN 44 million have been earmarked under the Social Investment Fund for the next year. This is by no means a small amount of money. BGN 64 million have been allocated for the sustenance and the development of social institutions while for the people with specific abilities (with various disabilities – a note by the author) the budget has provided a 65% increase as compared with this year. This item of expenditure enjoys the biggest provision of funds. Our efforts are aimed at meeting the criteria, however, I would repeat that a significant part of them do span over time and cannot happen in a year.

18 social projects are already underway. They are targeted at the distressed regions yet these are social subjects, on which there were notes from the European Commission. With the support of the Dutch Government, by the end of 2005 we will be able to fulfil the outlined tasks. In 2006 the investments will be prioritised to those very spheres on which the criticism of the Monitoring Report fell.

Can you focus on the programmes for increasing employability as well as on the forms for encouraging the unemployed to re-qualify or start their own business?
The 2006 Budget provides over 4,800,000 BGN for Promotion of Entrepreneurship and more specifically for the self-employment of 2,000 people.

Another element, to which much attention is paid, are the employment encouragement programmes: for example, stimulating employers, managers of micro enterprises, to foster jobs. In such enterprises the state subsidizes the first five created jobs for a given period of time. Under the Career Start Programme, aimed at the young people, the Ministry also covers part of the expenditures for wages and insurance over a period of time.

The Beautiful Bulgaria project, the National Programme for Harvest Preservation, National Programme Assistance for Retirement, etc. are all aimed at the creation of additional jobs. Beautiful Bulgaria project can only be approved if a minimum number of jobs have been created. The Social Investment Fund, and these are capital expenses, is approved and ratified if a number of new jobs is there.

Adopting amendments to the Law on Welfare, which is now being drafted in the Ministry, we limit the period for allotting social benefits. People should understand that state support can only last for a given period of time to cover the concrete needs of a person who is unable to manage alone at that period. I personally believe 18 months are a long enough period for a capable person in good health and if you refuse to work, if you refuse to re-qualify or join an employment programme during this time, then the Ministry will strip these benefits from you for the remaining months.

The people with specific abilities constitute another issue. In this sphere, however, we also encourage employers to hire persons with decreased working capacities and of up to 29 years of age as well as young people from social institutions, who have graduated and have education so that we can integrate this potential in the society immediately. Some BGN 6 million have been provided under various programmes in this direction.

We also envisage the pilot introduction of wage bonuses for people, subject to social assistance as well as for people with decreased working capacity, who are self-employed.