Sofia hosts international business forum

"Today we are organising a forum together with the European Economic and Social Committee, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, to which Bulgaria has applied for membership. With this event, the Industrial Capital Association of Bulgaria is trying to put the current crises in a broader framework, namely the framework for the transition to sustainable development and how small and medium-sized enterprises can use the green transition as an opportunity, not as another crisis," AICB Secretary General, SME Ambassador for Bulgaria Dr Milena Angelova told "The Day Begins" programme on September 26.

She explained that colleagues from the European Parliament have been invited as the main source of uncertainty for businesses is that there is no clarity on exactly how the framework will be implemented.

"At the same time, we as an association have long been signalling that the current pricing model on the electricity market in the European Union is one that does not lead to sustainable price stability," Dr Milena Angelova added.

According to her, reforms should be made at the level of the European Union.

"Today, after lunch we have the chance to have many people in Sofia who can help us with better policy setting," Dr. Angelova noted.

She said that small and medium-sized enterprises say they rely on their own resources because support measures are very slow or are for larger enterprises or require too much time and resources to prepare the relevant application documents.

"That is why our keynote speaker at the start of the conference will be Minister Alexander Pulev, who is responsible for the two operational programmes aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises," the AICB Secretary General said.