SOCIAL ECONOMY IN BULGARIA - PROBLEMS AND GUIDELINES FOR THEIR REDUCTION

Vanya Banabakova, Maria Ilcheva
Prof. Dr., Mr., National Military University Vasil Levski, BULGARIA, email: v.banabakova@abv.bg
Dr., Mr., National Military University Vasil Levski, BULGARIA, email: mkilcheva@abv.bg


Abstract

Promoting innovative ideas in public policies is crucial to supporting the values of an active, problem-oriented social system. These views underpin the ongoing social reforms in different countries and focus on the development of social entrepreneurship and the role of social entrepreneurs. The understanding is that social entrepreneurs have the ability to find flexible approaches to addressing unsatisfied social needs by locating usable resources - human capital, buildings and equipment. When formulating policies to support the social economy, it is important to take into account the specific characteristics of this kind of hybrid structures, the variety of models and vulnerable groups that are supported, and the particular symbiosis between financial viability and the ability to socially impact.

It is undoubtedly the influence of the social economy in two directions - economic and social. Social benefits are measured by the integration and employment of disadvantaged people, contributing to the process of social inclusion and the creation of social capital. The most serious economic indicator of the benefits of the social economy is the savings in public funds for social benefits, on the one hand, and the additional means of compensating for the social cost of long-term unemployment. At the same time, the newly created value in the social economy also represents a significant economic benefit. An additional economic impact of this type of organization is their flexibility and ability to mobilize resources of different origins - market and non-market resources, voluntary work and public support.

One of the serious problems that the social economy sector in Bulgaria needs to tackle immediately is the so-called institutional inconspicuousness. It is explained not only by the characteristics of the social economy as a new sector in the economic system but also by the lack of identity as a concept, the lack of a clear, strict definition of the characteristics that are common to the different types of companies and organizations that form the social economy. It is important to note that a serious shortage of social enterprises is the lack of knowledge of their goods and services and consequently the resulting limited opportunities for successful marketing of products with social value added. In this sense, notwithstanding the fact that social enterprises are closest to disadvantaged people and are trying to create opportunities for their employment, in the mainstream they are very difficult to compete on the market due to the additional costs associated with with labor and social integration.

However, there are other key issues for the development of the social economy sector in Bulgaria, which are largely present in other EU Member States as well as being considered as EU-wide challenges of EU public policies.

The development of the social economy in Bulgaria should be implemented in specific directions in order to create a favorable public environment for the social economy,
The aim of the present study is to study the main problems for the development of the social economy in Bulgaria and on this basis to put forward proposals for creating a favorable public environment for the social economy in the country.

Keywords: social economy, social support, social entrepreneurship.



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CITATION: Abstracts & Proceedings of ADVED 2018 - 4th International Conference on Advances in Education and Social Sciences, 15-17 October 2018- Istanbul, Turkey

ISBN: 978-605-82433-4-7