The Association of Bulgarian Employers’ Organizations presents its priorities for 2021

The Association of Bulgarian Employers’ Organizations (AOBE) announced at a press conference its main priorities for 2021. The press conference was held by the Chairmen of the members of AOBE - the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (Vasil Velev), the Bulgarian Industrial Association (Radosvet Radev), the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tsvetan Simeonov) and the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (Kiril Domuschiev). The occasion for the press conference of the four employers ’organizations was the change of the chairmanship of AOBE, which this year will be held by BICA due to the rotating principle of management.

In 2021, the AOBE will work on 47 measures in six key areas for the Bulgarian economy, including business environment, energy, human resources, capital market, EU policies and investments. Bulgaria’s admission to the OECD and the Schengen area, including active work for Bulgaria’s faster accession to the Eurozone, was declared a major national priority.

Despite the temporary difficulties faced by some businesses as a result of COVID-19, the AOBE members believe that in a few months companies will start experiencing staff shortages again. “Human resources are an important element of industrial policy. This year, every effort must be made to develop policies to keep workers who have returned from abroad due to the crisis. They should be related to facilitating the restoration of their civil status, construction of additional kindergartens for their children, etc.” said the President of BCCI Tsvetan Simeonov.

He added that employers’ organizations will continue their efforts to instigate changes to the Higher Education Act, through which the admission plan in universities to be brought to the needs of the economy, as well as to accelerate reforms in the education system with a focus on vocational education and expanding skills and knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

As very important measures Tsvetan Simeonov stressed the expansion of the functions of the Employment Agency in order to facilitate the import of workers and specialists from third countries, as well as easing the regulations to facilitate access to our country and the Bulgarian labour market of foreign workers and specialists of Bulgarian origin. The President of BCCI stated that the demands for the abolition of the minimum insurance thresholds and the obligations of the employer to pay for the first three days of sick leave are also among the priorities for 2021.

AOBE unites the nationally representative employers’ organizations BICA, BIA, BCCI and CEIBG. The main goal of the organization is to consolidate, balance and represent the interests of its members. The enterprises members of the four employers’ organizations give jobs to 82% of all employees in our country and produce 86% of GVA.