Bulgarian Cabinet Approves Administrative Overhaul Cutting Over 160 Posts Across Key Ministries
The Bulgarian government has greenlit a significant restructuring of the executive branch, eliminating a combined 166 staff positions across the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry and the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, according to official governmental decrees reported by Vesti.bg. The reorganization aims to streamline state administration without requiring additional allocations from the national budget.
Dismantling Red Tape in the Ministry of Innovation and Growth
The deepest cuts land squarely within the Ministry of Innovation and Growth. Administrative capacity there drops by over 120 positions, contributing the lion’s share of the total 166 state jobs trimmed nationwide, as noted by Investor.bg. This particular ministry holds the mandate for national policies concerning innovation, digital transformation, electronic governance, and cybersecurity.
Consolidating Economic Policy and Investment Promotion
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy, Investments and Industry undergoes a structural expansion of responsibilities coupled with a net contraction of staff. According to 24 Chasa, the ministry’s total administrative headcount decreases by 46 positions, shifting downward from 417 to 371 approved slots.
Despite this reduction in workforce, the portfolio broadens significantly. The investment promotion portfolio merges directly with core economic and industrial policies. Furthermore, the Bulgarian Investment Agency and the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises now operate under the direct oversight of the economy minister as secondary budget spending units, creating a unified command center for national business support.
Establishing the Executive Agency for European Competitiveness Funds
As part of the same decree package, the cabinet established a brand-new administrative body: the Executive Agency for European Competitiveness Funds, highlighted in reports by Dnevnik.bg.
Government officials emphasize that this new structure establishes a clean, unambiguous separation between the managing authority and the ultimate beneficiaries. This division complies strictly with European regulatory requirements, designed to eliminate conflicts of interest and speed up the absorption of critical modernization funds.
Fiscal Neutrality and the Road Ahead
However, the cabinet confirmed that all changes will be absorbed entirely within the previously approved budgetary frameworks of the respective ministries.
No extra taxpayer funds are required to finance the transition.
