22.06.2026
Prime Minister to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva: Enhanced transparency in public procurement indicates clearly to citizens and businesses changes in institutions’ modus operandi
The cabinet works to bring a fundamental change in the economic climate and to attract high value-added investment that will support the upgrading of Bulgaria’s economy. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev when he met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva and with the IMF Mission Chief for Bulgaria Fabian Bornhorst in the Government Headquarters. The meeting discussed the prospects for the Bulgarian economy, the reforms needed to strengthen the competitiveness and the role of new technologies and of Artificial Intelligence.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev stressed that Bulgaria is one of the countries in the European Union with the lowest public debt; however, this should not be lulling since in recent years Bulgaria was among the EU member countries with the highest loans. “Over the five past years economic growth was generated mostly by incentive-based domestic consumption whereas investment and industrial production were trailing behind. We need to change the growth model and to bring back investment, production and export into the center of economic development. Only in this way can we achieve sustainable growth, higher productivity and a better income for citizens,” the Prime Minister said.
Rumen Radev noted that a priority for the new cabinet is to relieve the administrative burden on the businesses and to create an investment-friendly climate where the developments in the economy are transparent. In this connection, the Prime Minister noted the importance of SIGMA for public procurement and stressed that enhanced transparency in public tendering procedures is a clear sign to citizens and to businesses of a change in the way in which institutions operate.
Rumen Radev also noted Bulgaria’s strategic importance as a bridge between Europe and Asia, with a potential for the development of transport, energy and digital corridors. As the Prime Minister said, the good traditions of Bulgarian education in the field of exact sciences should be supported given the need to train more engineers, IT experts and highly skilled personnel.
