Year 2024, Issue 1

Date published

29.3.2024

Table of content

  • Victor Yotzov
    CONVERGENT ECONOMY – A CRITICAL REVIEW OF BULGARIA’S INTEGRATION IN THE EU
    JEL: F63, G0
    Summary: ticle was written on the occasion of the presentation of the book Converging Economy by Prof. Garabed Minasyan, DSc, which was organized by the Union of Economists in Bulgaria with the courtesy of the Prof. Minko Rusenov, PhD Foundation. During the discussions, economists from various universities and scientific institutions pr ... ... This article was written on the occasion of the presentation of the book Converging Economy by Prof. Garabed Minasyan, DSc, which was organized by the Union of Economists in Bulgaria with the courtesy of the Prof. Minko Rusenov, PhD Foundation. During the discussions, economists from various universities and scientific institutions presented their views on the role of economic convergence in the modern development of Bulgaria.
  • Mariam Voskanyan, Hripsime Gabrielyan
    MEASURING THE IMPACT OF FISCAL POLICY ON THE ECONOMIC GROWTH OF ARMENIA
    Summary: objective of macroeconomic regulation is to achieve sustainable economic growth and development in the long term. At the same time, within developing economies, the task of ensuring sustainable economic growth in the long term faces the failure of institutions, and as a result, the ineffectiveness of the main mechanisms of macr ... ... The key objective of macroeconomic regulation is to achieve sustainable economic growth and development in the long term. At the same time, within developing economies, the task of ensuring sustainable economic growth in the long term faces the failure of institutions, and as a result, the ineffectiveness of the main mechanisms of macroeconomic regulation, especially those that have a long-term and ambiguous impact on the economy. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth, as well as to find fundamental common ground for increasing the impact of basic instruments on economic activity by improving transmission mechanisms. The methodological basis of the study was a review of theoretical and practical models of the fiscal regulation impact on economic growth, known in the scientific literature, as well as approbation of the most optimal ones considered using the example of the Armenian economy. The result of the study was the conclusion that in the current format, the fiscal policy of Armenia does not have the proper positive impact on the rate of economic growth, and therefore requires a fundamental revision and the need to develop an appropriate strategy aimed at ensuring sustainable economic growth in the long term.
  • Todor Georgiev
    RISK AND RETURN ON INVESTMENTS IN PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS THROUGH A PROJECT COMPANY AND LOAN FINANCING
    JEL: Q32, Q43
    Summary: : The aim of this study is to present in detail the risk, financial, and engineering aspects of investments in photovoltaic power plants (PVPPs) based on the most likely scenario for financial and economic development. For investments in PVPPs with a capacity of over 1 MW, the use of the project company approach can be recommend ... ... Abstract: The aim of this study is to present in detail the risk, financial, and engineering aspects of investments in photovoltaic power plants (PVPPs) based on the most likely scenario for financial and economic development. For investments in PVPPs with a capacity of over 1 MW, the use of the project company approach can be recommended. This approach pursues two basic goals: (1) the construction of PVPPs with optimal installed capacity and product¬ion parameters; (2) achievement of a projected level of sales and profits. Investments in PVPPs logically bear two groups of risks – systematic and unsystematic. Among these risks, attention should always be paid to the dynamics of price levels in electricity markets, which are key to the financial and economic return on investment. These calculations are also particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates when loan financing a project company with high financial leverage.
  • Silvia Toneva, Kristina Stefanova
    PROMOTING THE PARTICIPATION OF SMEs IN DUAL TRAINING IN THE CONTEXT OF REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN BULGARIA
    Summary: of the paper is to make recommendations for the development of the dual system in Bulgaria in terms of increasing the participation of SMEs and taking into account the regional specificities of the educational structure of the population and youth unemployment. Financial incentives, a large-scale information campaign and visibi ... ... The aim of the paper is to make recommendations for the development of the dual system in Bulgaria in terms of increasing the participation of SMEs and taking into account the regional specificities of the educational structure of the population and youth unemployment. Financial incentives, a large-scale information campaign and visibility of participating enterprises are some of the important factors to encourage SMEs to become partners in the dual system. In order to ensure a wider participation of enter¬prises, it is important to gradually increase financial incentives (through support in the form of grants, tax relief, etc.). The existing differences between regions in Bulgaria suggest that a more substantial incentive for SMEs to become partners in dual training could be achieved by applying a regional criterion. When planning measures for the development of the dual training system in Bulgaria, efforts should be made to cover more persons at risk of dropping out of the education system and persons who will not enter higher education.
  • Nikolay Kalistratov
    THE SHADOW ECONOMY AND TAX EVASION – BEHAVIORAL ATTITUDES AND COUNTERMEASURES
    JEL: Q32, Q43
    Summary: n, corruption, excessive regulations, and ineffective governance stand out as primary drivers behind the emergence of the "shadow economy" (also known as the "grey," "informal," or "unregistered" economy). The prevailing theoretical models suggest that these variables are closely inter¬related and can lead to either a positive o ... ... Taxation, corruption, excessive regulations, and ineffective governance stand out as primary drivers behind the emergence of the "shadow economy" (also known as the "grey," "informal," or "unregistered" economy). The prevailing theoretical models suggest that these variables are closely inter¬related and can lead to either a positive or negative balance. The positive balance is characterized by stable institutions, light regulatory burdens, a broad tax base, often high taxes and revenues, and a small size of the shadow economy. Conversely, the negative balance involves unstable institutions, excessive and burdensome regulation, diverse tax bases, low revenues, and a significant size of the shadow economy. The larger the tax wedge (the difference between the total labour cost and income after taxation), the larger the informal economy becomes. The aim of this study is to present the results of an empirical field research on employer and employee attitudes toward the shadow economy, along with a discussion of effective measures to limit the "grey sector."