Асоциация на индустриалния капитал в България

THE BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL CAPITAL ASSOCIATION (BICA) was founded in1996. Currently, the Association represents more than 50 holding- and investment companies, 15 branch chambers, 1200 industrial enterprises, employing altogether more than 200 000 people.BICA has developed a widespread network of regional structures, covering more than 60 Bulgarian municipalities.

According to the Bulgarian Council of Ministers’ Decisions from October 2004 and December 2007, BICA was acknowledged as a representative employers’ organization on national level. The Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association stands for the positions of its members, representingthem in their relations with the state and public bodies in order to promote favourable businessenvironment and to enhance the competitiveness and the successful performance of the Bulgarianbusiness on the global market. On a regular basis BICA takes an active part in discussions on main macroeconomic parameters such as state budget framework, tax and insurance policy, export strategy, red tape cutting, and implementation of the Lisbon reforms.

In its capacity of a representative national employers’ organization, the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association (BICA) represents the consolidated positions of the Bulgarian businesses on how to improve the socio-economic environment in the country. 

The Association asserts itself as the voice of the real productive sector acting as an active generator of new ideas and proposals. BICA is a supreme forum for contacts between its members and the legislative and executive authorities both at national and European level, whose reform plans and ideas about regulation amendments are consulted on regular basis bythe Association. This allows BICA to be actively involved in the formation and implementation of successful policies aimed at increasing the competitiveness and promoting the development of the Bulgarian economy. The main challenges in this direction are related to the proper implementation of fi scal policies aimed to support the business, red-tape cutting and improvement of the regulatory framework to enhance free entrepreneurship. 

The Association asserted its leading role amongst the social partners through its active position in promoting the Bulgarian business participation in EU funds absorption, which is being defended consecutively in the Public Council for Coordinating, Planning, Management, Monitoring and Control of EU Funds Absorption to the Deputy Prime Minister, in the Monitoring Committees of the National Strategic Reference Framework and of the operational programs and national plans and also in a wide range of relevant EU bodies. The Association’s positions and opinions on the EU funds absorption and its proposals for solutions on specifi c problems in the implementation of the programmes are well accepted by the executive authorities and most of them have been implemented. 

As unique defender of listed companies’ interests in the country, the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association understands and actively works to promote the major importance of successful capital market development and the positive image of the issuers. In this endeavour BICA cooperates closely with all stakeholders on both national and European level. 

In the fi eld of international cooperation BICA affi rms its image as a European organization by intensifying signifi cantly its international contacts. In 2008 the Association was accepted as a full member of the European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public Services (CEEP) and this allows the Association to participate directly in the social dialogue at European level. BICA is also represented in the European Economic and Social Committee, where for the term 2009 - 2010 it has a representation also in the political body of the EESC - the Bureau. Additionally, the Association has its representative in the Board of Directors of EuropeanIssuers - the European organization of issuers’ associations. It is represented in the ad-hoc group to the European Social Fund and in other European bodies. All these representations provide substantial opportunities for the successful implementation of BICA policies and views.  

In medium-term perspective the Bulgarian Industrial Capital Association will continue to actively work to improve the business environment and the socio-economic climate, as well as to reach the world best practices and to ensure conditions for accelerated economic growth and investment promotion for overcoming the eff ects of the global fi nancial crisis.

For more information you could download our PDF brochure.