Description: Bulgaria : Issues in Intergovernmental Relations

Bulgaria : Issues in Intergovernmental Relations

Municipalities play a large role in the Bulgarian public sector. They provide primary and secondary education. They own and operate about one-third of the hospitals in the country. Until 2003, they administered all the major social assistance progr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	World Bank
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:	INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL TAX RELATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFER OF FUNDS UNFUNDED MANDATES ARREARAGES MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT PUBLIC EXPENDITURES FOR EDUCATION PUBLIC EXPENDITURES FOR HEALTH PUBLIC EXPENDITURES FOR PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC EXPENDITURES FOR WAGES BUDGET CONTROL SUBSIDY PAYMENTS INCENTIVE PAYMENTS STAFFING PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY PER CAPITA INCOME SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS REVENUE SHARING GOVERNMENT ROLE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT SCHOOL ENROLLMENT REGULATORY CONSTRAINTS INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING INFRASTRUCTURAL CONSTRAINTS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AUTONOMOUS MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY ACCOUNTING ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AUTONOMY BONDS BORROWING CAPITAL BUDGETING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES CAPITAL GRANTS CITIES CORPORATE INCOME TAX CORPORATE INCOME TAXES CREDIT MARKETS CREDITWORTHINESS DEBT DEBT RELIEF DEBT SERVICE DEFICIT FINANCING DEFICITS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FISCAL CONDITIONS FISCAL DECENTRALIZATION FISCAL REFORM GOVERNMENT REFORM HOUSING INCOME SUPPORT INSURANCE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS LEGAL FRAMEWORK LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL SPENDING LOCAL TAXES MATCHING GRANTS MUNICIPAL CREDIT MUNICIPAL DEBT MUNICIPAL FINANCE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE MUNICIPAL SERVICES MUNICIPALITIES OPERATING COSTS PENSIONS PRIVATE CONCESSIONAIRES PROFITABILITY PROPERTY TAXES PUBLIC ENTERPRISES PUBLIC EXPENDITURE PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SERVICE PUBLIC SERVICE PROVISION PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC UTILITIES PUBLIC WORKS RETIREMENT REVENUE AVAILABILITY ROADS SAVINGS SEWAGE SEWERAGE SERVICES SOCIAL WELFARE SOLID WASTE COLLECTION STREETS TAX TAX ADMINISTRATION TAX RATES TAX SHARING TAXATION TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT WAGES WATER SUPPLY
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/01/2953487/bulgaria-issues-intergovernmental-relations http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14359

Description
Summary:	Municipalities play a large role in the Bulgarian public sector. They provide primary and secondary education. They own and operate about one-third of the hospitals in the country. Until 2003, they administered all the major social assistance programs (except pensions and unemployment insurance). The municipalities of larger cities own (wholly or partially) the water companies operating within their territories. Throughout the 1990's and into the first years of the present decade, problems in the structure of intergovernmental relations undermined efforts to achieve efficiency in public service provision and generate savings for investment in public utilities. Persistent deficits and bailouts undermined fiscal stability at both the central and local levels. A fundamental reform in intergovernmental fiscal relations went into effect in 2003. This has addressed many, although not all, of these problems. This report evaluates the reform, identifies major remaining issues, and recommends means to resolve them. The report is structured as follows: After the Introduction, which discusses existing government boundaries, functions, regulation, and revenues, Section 1 parses the issues regarding unfounded mandates, arrears, and fiscal autonomy; incentives to overstaffing; arbitrary disparities in per capita revenues; and infrastructure decline. Section 2 analyzes the 2003 Reform. Section 3 examines what remains to be done immediately and in the long-term.

Bulgaria : Issues in Intergovernmental Relations

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