With its decision No. 37/29.01.2025 on the non-recognition of the Bulgarian Employers' Association Innovative Technologies "BRAIT" as a representative organization of employers at the national level, as a result of which BRAIT is once again not admitted to the composition of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation (NCTS), the Council of Ministers (CM) of the Republic of Bulgaria condemns the Bulgarian economy to retrogression, irreversible lagging behind global trends, and zero competitiveness.

BRAIT unites the most advanced sectors of the Bulgarian economy, including the automotive and software industries, IT and ICT, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, agritech, renewable energy, e-commerce, and many others, which are a special focus of all leading countries and drive the global economy forward.

The decision of the CM does not correspond to global realities and is the result of a controversial procedure for selecting the members of the NCTS by the Commission for Establishing the Presence of the Representation Criteria at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP).

In recent years, Bulgaria has maintained fragile economic growth thanks to high-tech industries, which still retain double-digit growth. These are the industries that attract young people to Bulgaria, are a source of positive news about Bulgaria on a global scale, and add value to the economy and public life.

Against this background, the entire political class in the country suffers from a lack of awareness and knowledge of key processes related to digital technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, strategic ICT infrastructure, which will determine the global economy for years to come.

We find the decision of the CM not to admit BRAIT to the new composition of the NCTS to be a deliberate refusal by the state to develop a new type of economy, to increase productivity, and to improve competitiveness.

It is obvious that the desire is for the NCTS to continue to be a forum devoid of any vision for the development of the country, functioning as a platform for collusion and a rubber stamp for opportunistic decisions.

The results of this irresponsible behavior of the rulers are already evident: our country is on the gray list of states monitored for money laundering, we are last in digitalization in the EU, there is a visible absence of investments, an unattractive and unpredictable business environment, an inefficient and bloated public administration, low level of services, inadequate education, tolerance of corruption, and lack of rule of law, unstable public finances, and last but not least, an obvious retreat from the Euro-Atlantic civilizational choice of the Bulgarians.

BRAIT meets all formal requirements for membership in the NCTS. It was duly proven by a report from the NSSI that BRAIT applied for the NCTS with 106,746 employed workers and employees, as well as with 2,913 members and employer organizations.

Against this background, in a completely non-transparent and undemocratic procedure and without any reasons or explanations, the Commission for Establishing the Presence of the Representation Criteria finally concluded that BRAIT has 1,127 members and a total of 70,140 workers and employees.

As of today, the Management Board of BRAIT has not been informed of the reasons for the decision of the CM, but for us, it is obvious that the procedure for selecting the NCTS is flawed, and the rules—so subject to interpretation—that they are convenient for manipulation in any direction.

We find that the decision of the CM seriously harms future generations of Bulgaria and will respond to it with all means permitted by law.

Management Board of BRAIT

About BRAIT

The Bulgarian Employers' Association Innovative Technologies (BRAIT) was established on February 5, 2020, in Sofia as the successor to the Association of Business Clusters. BRAIT aims to contribute to the development and strengthening of its members as organizations of industrial sectors with high added value related to innovative technologies in various sectors.

The composition of the Management Board of BRAIT currently includes organizations representing some of the most significant industries in Bulgaria: Association for Innovation, Business Services and Technology (AIBEST), Bulgarian Association of Software Companies (BASSCOM), Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies (BAIT), Institute for Agrostrategies and Innovations, Cluster "Mechatronics and Automation", Foundation "Cluster Information and Communication Technologies", Cluster Renewable Energy Sources, Cluster "Thrace Economic Zone", Cluster "Artificial Intelligence Bulgaria," and the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association (BESCO).