The National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) Monday presented its economic platform, with ten key policies for 2009, which will be the basis of the party's economic program for this year's parliamentary elections.

NMSS Economy and Finance Council member and State Administration Minister Nikolay Vassilev said that the platform describes the party's economic ideology.

The NMSS's two principal priorities are related to the stability of the currency board arrangement and the country's financial system, Vassilev emphasized. As he put it, the current presence of the party in the ruling coalition has made possible the existence of three anchors in the country's budget policy (the budget surplus, the reduction of direct taxes and of budget expenditures). which allow it to remain stable even in the conditions of a global economic crisis.

According to the NMSS economic experts, the budget should prioritize a reform of the unreformed sectors. They propose relocating resources from the unreformed systems to investments in infrastructure.

In the platform, the NMSS stresses privatization, concessions and an expansion of public-private partnership. The party proposes an immediate award of concessions for motorways, ports, railways, railway stations and other facilities, accelerated recovery of input value added tax, as well as a possibility for the State to deposit more financial resources in the banks, Vassilev said.

The NMSS economists insist on the need of special attention to international tourism and on the allocation of 40 million leva for international publicity, which would make it possible to reduce the current account deficit.

The party proposes a moratorium on further increases of fees for the business and even a 10-15% reduction of the recently increased fees.

As a measure to enhance transparency, the party wants law-makers to ban exchanges and disposition of corporeal immovables without competitive bidding.

Source: BTA