Operational Programme Human Resources Development is among the best ones ion Bulgaria in terms of funds agreed, but is the list of shame in terms of actually disbursed amounts. Current reference for its implementation by 1 April 2013 shows that it agreed 2.37 billion levs out of the maximum possible for the current period 1.89 billion, while to projects were paid only 936 million levs. In some of the schemes of the programme more resources are poured than are actually necessary, but candidates with good projects are few. In others there is a huge demand, but there is not enough funding.
To accelerate the absorption of the money, the caretaker leadership of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy proposed to the Monitoring Committee on Human Resources that 30.5 million levs, saved from completed, canceled and re-evaluated projects, to be directed by current employment schemes and training. If the proposal is accepted, the social affairs ministry is to enter into contracts with beneficiaries selected for additional funding in the next about 40 days. With annexes to the signed contracts some funds on already approved and funded proposals will be limited.
It is commendable that people led by Minister Deiana Popova want to react promptly to prevent a possible loss of the agreed 30 million levs, which obviously can not be spent where initially planned. The problem is that social ministry does not justify
why the money should be spent on exactly the designated schemes. With few exceptions, they do not look to be of any priority for the labor market or for the country’s educational and social system. It is envisaged that 7.8 million levs should be transferred to the scheme Support to the development of PhD students, post-graduate students and young scientists. They will still be used to fund 16 projects at universities, research organizations and institutions for which there were no resources left after the initial assessment of the proposals received. So, the state would allegedly support the career development of over 400 young scientists. Naturally, the need for science to be a priority is obvious, but the budget for this scheme even now is not that small. It was almost doubled in the middle of last year to 14.21 million levs. Besides, in the last year, because of a legal loophole, allowing for easy access to university career, the local postgraduates have multiplied and now exceed 5,000. In parallel, the social ministry inexplicably wants to cut money for student scholarships and awards by 7 million levs.
Instead of spending extra money on controversial legislation, the money could be allocated for training of teachers in Bulgaria’s universities. All rightly complain that the quality of the local higher education is low, but for the upgrading the knowledge of lecturers in universities only 1.96 million lev of European aid has been earmarked. Schools also teach according to outdated methods and personnel is melting, so that financial support for the improvement of teachers would not be redundant.
Against this background, nearly 1.43 million levs will be supplemented to the scheme for the improvement of management systems in higher education. Recently the BANKER wrote that Bulgaria’s 33 universities and colleges received an average of 454 thousand levs on development of specialized electronic management systems at different levels, but the money is distributed randomly. A lot of universities have misused some of them, not meeting the required criteria. The social ministry apparently revalued budgets of approved proposals and hence has saved 1.43 million levs.
For educational integration of children and students from ethnic minorities a sum of 5.6 million levs has been earmarked, which will cover the inclusion of 2,200 children. For the realization of a project, however, at least 12 months are required and the deadline is nearing.
The BANKER
