Economic Archive

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  REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN BULGARIA TODAY: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLENGES

  To accelerate Bulgaria's economic development taking into account the specific characteristics of their regions is a serious challenge for the local governments in the country. The ongoing political and economic changes require a reassessment of the country's economic development. The aim of this study was to analyse the disparities among ... To accelerate Bulgaria's economic development taking into account the specific characteristics of their regions is a serious challenge for the local governments in the country. The ongoing political and economic changes require a reassessment of the country's economic development. The aim of this study was to analyse the disparities among Bulgaria’s regions (defined in accordance with the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS)) by assessing the degree of economic, social and demographic chal¬lenges they face and performing a multivariate comparative analysis with sets of statistically significant indicators. The analysis clearly outlines the bounda¬ries of the regional disparities and the need to improve the country’s regional and cohesion policies.

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  FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION IN EUROPE: EFFECTS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS’ FISCAL AUTONOMY

  The European Charter of Local Self-Government, which was ratified by almost all European member states, provides for the decentralization of power and the transfer of competences and financial resources to local communities as well as extends local authorities’ tax collection and budgetary spending responsibilities. In reality, however, the ... The European Charter of Local Self-Government, which was ratified by almost all European member states, provides for the decentralization of power and the transfer of competences and financial resources to local communities as well as extends local authorities’ tax collection and budgetary spending responsibilities. In reality, however, the increased spending responsibilities and the limited self-financing powers of the municipalities in our country raise the question of the degree of their dependence on the cen¬tral government. This paper presents a survey which aims to measure and assess the degree of tax autonomy of local governments in Bulgaria compared to their counterparts from other EU member states by means of a set of indicators and thus to determine one of the effects of fiscal decentralization – lo¬cal self-government’s tax autonomy.

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  QUALITY AND PERSPECTIVES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PROCESS OF DECENTRALIZATION IN GREECE

  The study aims to determine the progress of the central and municipal administrations and their attitudes towards the process of decentralization in Greece; their competences and attitudes regarding decentralization; the degree of completion of decentralization; and the enhancement of the qualification of the central and municipal administrations. ... The study aims to determine the progress of the central and municipal administrations and their attitudes towards the process of decentralization in Greece; their competences and attitudes regarding decentralization; the degree of completion of decentralization; and the enhancement of the qualification of the central and municipal administrations. The study is based on a questionnaire which included questions regarding the opinion and the attitudes of the administration towards the process decentralization in Greece. The survey was conducted with 95 civil servants. The results outline certain difficulties in the decentralization process as well as ways to overcome them.