A regular IMF staff mission headed by Ms. Michele Shannon visited Bulgaria during 4 - 9 November 2015. The mission's schedule included meetings and talks with representatives of the Ministry of Finance and of the Bulgarian National Bank.
Exports and absorption of European Union (EU) funds will support moderate economic growth in Bulgaria this year, broadly in line with last year’s level of 1.7%, the IMF has said.
The mission concluded that unemployment is projected to remain high, although it had fallen with increasing economic activity, and deflation is set to bottom out with stabilization of commodity prices.
The IMF also welcomed Bulgaria’s “substantially stronger-than-projected” budget revenues in 2015 but warned that the government “should exercise any remaining scope to contain current spending through the end of the year”.
The IMF estimated as achievable the government’s 2016 deficit target and the 2016-2018 fiscal plan but said that the cabinet should exercise “strict control over spending, including the wage bill” and be ready to increase savings if revenues fall short of target.
You can see the findings of the IMF staff here.