Address by the President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Dear colleagues, friends and partners,

The past 2019 was a year of challenges and key events – we had to report the results from our work in the previous five-year term of office and to draw plans for the next one. Meanwhile, we had to chair the Association of the Organizations of Bulgarian Employers (AOBE). The year was also fraught with expectations for major changes in the context of the European Parliament elections and the Bulgarian local elections.

The held General Assembly of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry praised highly the achievements of the Chamber’s team in the various areas of its activity and outlined the priorities for the next five years.

In a very dynamic environment, we successfully end our rotating chairmanship of the Association of the Organizations of Bulgarian Employers. With the serious work of all employers’ organizations we managed to present to the competent authorities a significant number of positions, to defend them, and to develop short-term balanced goals, which reflect on the priorities both of the AOBE and the social partners. Our proposals are now in the hands of the respective public authorities and expect their reaction.

In European terms, despite the efforts, Brexit could not take place and will probably be completed in 2020. It is important that the European institutions make the appropriate in-depth analysis and draw the respective conclusions so that the Brexit “saga” is a serious lesson in future policy-making – both at EU level and with regard to the individual Member States. We hope that the EU will work for better business conditions, for active market expansion through the conclusion of new free trade agreements, for circular economy and digitalization, which are also among the priorities of the Association of the European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (EUROCHAMBRES). The growing activity and intensity of the Association’s initiatives have our full support.

The reconstruction of the house of Ivan Grozev – the first President of BCCI was successfully completed. His home in Karlovo was turned into a museum of local importance and we invite you all to visit it.

The English version of the website of the Arbitration Court at BCCI is already working. We plan to update the international agreements of the Arbitration Court.

In 2020, the tripartite cooperation will have to once again go through the legitimation procedure, which will be an important task for the entire Chamber system.

We support the efforts of the state institutions to preserve the main macro indicators and the lowest taxes, and to accelerate growth rate in comparison to the other economies. Achieving this goal depends on reducing the administrative burden for businesses and focusing the energy of the administration on business-friendly activities, such as introducing maximum labour import incentives. We urge the state to pursue a targeted policy for the introduction of e-Government paired with reduction of the bureaucratic apparatus, which will make available highly skilled professionals for the business.

Everything that the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry does is so that you – our members can focus on your specific day-to-day activities, and with your creative and innovative thinking, make your goods and services even better and more competitive.

Let us together, with hard work, prove every day that Bulgaria is an attractive place for business and investment.

I wish you success in all your future endeavours!

Tsvetan Simeonov

BCCI President