On Wednesday, at a special briefing at the Council of Ministers, Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova announced that preparations for the 2026 state budget are set to begin in September. This announcement marks the start of one of the most crucial processes for the fiscal year, which will determine the country's financial framework and priorities.
Minister Petkova explained that the procedure will follow a strict regulatory order, and intensive talks and consultations with representatives of all ministries, agencies, and municipalities are expected to start next month. This inter-institutional communication is essential for gathering the necessary information and coordinating the needs of the various sectors before proceeding with the drafting of the final bill. "There is a specific regulatory procedure related to the drafting and the process through which the budget procedure for the 2026 Budget passes. This procedure is set to be initiated in September, and talks with colleagues from other ministries, agencies, and municipalities will begin so that we can prepare the Budget Act as required by law", she emphasized.
According to the minister, the bill will be submitted to the National Assembly within the legally established deadlines, ensuring that the process will be transparent and will follow the planned timeframe. However, at this stage, it is too early to announce any specific parameters or forecasts regarding the size of the budget, revenues, or expenditures, as these will only become clear after the consultation process is completed and the final document is drafted.
During the briefing, a journalist also raised a question related to alarming information circulating on social media. The information concerns photos and data alleging that a tanker arriving from the Russian port of Novorossiysk was unloading crude oil at the Bulgarian port of Rosenets. The claims are that the cargo was not of Kazakh origin, as is usually declared, but Russian. This calls into question compliance with the international sanctions imposed on Moscow. In response to the inquiry, Minister Petkova gave a brief comment, avoiding a direct answer about the nature of the cargo or specific government actions. She stated that "Customs authorities are in their place. They, within their competence, have the opportunity to carry out the relevant checks". This laconic response failed to dispel doubts and left open the question of whether the control authorities had carried out the necessary checks and taken measures to prevent a potential violation of the sanctions regime. The failure to provide more detailed information leaves an impression of ambiguity and raises additional questions about the effectiveness of control over crude oil imports from Russia.