Problems in education and labour market were among the biggest obstacles standing in the way of Bulgarian business, the deputy CEO of the Bulgarian Telecommunication Company (BTC) Boyko Dimitrachkov told the participants in the “Economic Partnership EU-USA: New Opportunities for Bulgarian Business” forum.

The current educational model in this country does not meet the demands of the rapidly developing economy, Dimitrachkov added expressing his opinion that the state still maintained its exclusive rol in educational planning at all levels. Poor practical skills were another weakness of Bulgarian education, Dimitrachkov pointed out.

The fact that the current labour legislation does not allow employers to demonstrate sufficient flexibility in labour hiring is one of the weaknesses of Bulgaria’s labour market, Dimitrachkov said.

He mentioned unfixed working hours as one example. According to him social security contributions were still high and didn’t help improve Bulgaria’s competitiveness. Complicated lay-off procedures were another problem facing employers, Dimitrachkov said.