By 2020- 2025 Bulgaria's population will total 6 mln people, 20% of which will be over the age of 65. The representatives of the Romani minority will be around 1 mln people.

“Can you imagine how a 6 mln nation will achieve an 8% economic growth?”Ivo Prokopiev, chairman of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) asked the delegates at the confederation's general meeting.

According to Prokopiev the country needs to introduce a series of measures in order to solve the demographic problem, starting with efforts to keep young people in Bulgaria via reforms in the education system, stabilizing the pension system, as well as integrating the Romani population.

One of the organization's recommendations is for the setting up of a demographic support fund, which will be used when the situation becomes really bad. The money in the fund will come from revenues from privatization of unused government assets.

Prokopiev also emphasized CEIBG's role as a mediator during the teachers' strike.

CEIBG insists that public administration has to be reduced and licensing procedures need to be facilitate.

Prokopiev pointed out that there is no system rating the adequacy of the work of regulatory bodies in Bulgaria. However, due to the pressure from the World Bank, The IMF, and the EC, the government will have to authorize a foreign consultant to rate the effectiveness of the public administration.

One of the greatest challenges our country is facing in the mid-term perspective is joining the Eurozone. Prokopiev thinks this will happen by 2012-2013. In his words earlier dates are unrealistic, and by 2016 it will be too late.

PM Stanishev and the mayor of Sofia Boyko Borisov sent greeting letters to the delegates of the meeting.

The prime minister points out that the representatives of business in Bulgaria are those who produce the GDP and are the main force and partner in defining the direction of the policy led by the government, as well as a corrective force for measures taken towards economic development.