News

27 June 2023

The Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva made a recommendation to the social minister Mrs Ivanka Shalapatova insisting that red tape of certificates for enrollment of 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th grade students for the 2023-2024 academic year in the respective school be removed. The certificates are required so that parents may be granted a one-off state aid of BGN 300. 

The recommendation comes following tens of signals of parents who would like to avail of this social support but complain that the Social Assistance Agency requires them to present a certificate from the respective school that the children have been enrolled in 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th grades, provided that education in these grades is compulsory and children are not subject to individual enrollment as is the case with students in 1^st or 8^th grades. 

“I believe that this requirement for parents to secure a certificate to this end from the school and enclose it to their application to the Social Assistance Directorate should be reviewed and eliminated. Provided that this type of social assistance is granted to all children and the data where children have been enrolled is available in the database of the Ministry of Education and Science, I believe that the Social Assistance Agency should carry out the check ex officio, pursuant to the requirements set forth in the E-Government Act, and should not require it from citizens, all the more so since children are not initially enrolled in grades 2^nd to 4^th”, Diana Kovacheva explicitly states.

She further reiterates that the public administration should strictly apply Article 2(1) of the E-Government Act, pursuant to which administrative authorities, persons exercising public functions and public services providers should not request from citizens and organisations to provide data that has been already compiled or created but should collect it ex officio instead from the primary controller.

Prof. Kovacheva further reminds that the possibility for exchange of data is provided precisely to alleviate the administrative burden on citizens.

“I believe you are socially committed and resolved to reduce the red tape and administrative burden on citizens. I look forward to your feedback within reasonable time about the action taken in relation to this issue”, the Ombudsman wrote finally.