EKIP– Expert Club for Economics and Politics A Different Opinion
We started 2019 off to a strong start – the topic of healthcare is hot again and the TEAM presented a new study: A Proposal for a Rational Drug Policy.
The author of the analysis, health economist Arkadi Sharkov, was a guest on one of the most watched shows on the domestic airwaves – “Face to Face” on BTV. According to him, in order to deal with the problem, the drug policy must be reformed in a pro-generic direction. This would allow for a serious improvement in the quality of healthcare in the country, as well as the realization of significant savings for the health insurance fund, he was categorical. In short, through a proper pro-generic rational drug policy, the health insurance fund can pay less money for medications, and patients can receive more medications. The analysis also attracted the attention of the print media and was covered in the magazine “ Economist”, the newspaper “ 24 Chasa” and the newspaper “ Standart”.
Another topical topic was touched upon in the morning block of Nova TV. Stoyan Panchev and Mika Zaikova commented on the state of the pension system and what are the prospects for young people who are working now to be left without pensions in years to come. "Currently, there is no accumulation in the first pillar, it covers only half of the expenses. This is a trend that will not improve." - says Stoyan Panchev. Learn more about the state of the pension system from our new infographic!
Stoyan Panchev also appeared on the news on NOVA TV, where he categorically opposed Bulgaria's accession to the Eurozone: "We will have a huge transfer of sovereignty to a large centralized political organization like the ECB. In practice, we will allow our politicians to be much more reckless in how they spend and how they manage the state's finances." We recall that EKIP has long been following the topic of the Eurozone and criticizing the hasty accession to a union that is still, at this point, highly unstable (you can read a detailed justification of the arguments against joining the Eurozone here ).
Traditionally, at the beginning of the year, our media appearances were related to forecasts for the Bulgarian economy in the coming year. In the morning block of BNT, Stoyan Panchev once again emphasized the problems of the pension system. According to him, the specific distribution of spending during the holiday season among different demographic groups should be monitored. One large group is pensioners who do not have the necessary funds. They rely on a system that is in dire condition and almost does not save.
Will we be poorer or richer in 2019? This was commented by Stoyan Panchev and Lachezar Bogdanov on Nova TV. "Somewhere in the future, in 2020, for example, we may have a recession similar to that of 2008. Therefore, I would not be too optimistic about next year from the point of view of the macro environment," said Chairman Stoyan Panchev.
The editor-in-chief of EKIP, Georgi Vuldjev, shared his view on the increase in the price of electricity and water with Bulgaria On Air. According to him, the increase in prices in Burgas is due to most water treatment plants and is not so sharp as to cause public discontent.
The month was also marked by radio appearances. Georgi Vuldjev and Stoyan Panchev participated in the Bulgarian National Radio. Vuldjev expressed his opinion on the topic of fuels. He emphasized that the problem in the market is not concentrated in the Fuels Act, but rather in the Excise and Tax Warehouses Act. There are the main problems that lead to all the doubts about monopoly in the market and problems with prices.
In his participation on the topic of the Bulgarian Citizenship Law, Stoyan Panchev defined as a "good idea" facilitating access to citizenship for investors: "The fact is that the other countries in the Union that have similar things are Malta and Cyprus. Malta and Cyprus are known for being offshore zones. One of the main reasons for them being such is that they have all the best opportunities to attract investors on site. This includes adequate tax legislation, regulatory legislation and facilitated access to citizenship."
