American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria (AmCham) member companies are continuing to experience difficulties in obtaining visas and work permits for employees who are third-country nationals, an AmCham delegation told MPs from Bulgaria's tripartite coalition parties in a series of meetings.

European Union citizens have an automatic right to work in Bulgaria but this does not extend to non-EU nationals.

On November 12 and 13 2008, AmCham president Borislav Boyanov, vice president Kenneth Lefkowitz, board members Tanya Kosseva-Boshova and Georgi Georgiev and executive director Valentin Georgiev met the parliamentary caucuses of the Coalition for Bulgaria, the National Movement for Stability and Progress and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, AmCham said.

The discussions focused on major areas of concern to AmCham members and their proposals related to stabilising the economic and investment climate in the country in 2009.

AmCham said that main focus of the discussion was laws related to the Budget: amendments to the VAT Law, the Corporate Tax Law and the Law on Investment Promotion.

Among the proposals of AmCham were to reduce the investment thresholds for First Class Investors considerably lower than 70 million leva; to regard mortgage credit interests as tax expenses, to introduce a mechanism for quick return of VAT; to avoid gaps in tax legislation regarding outsourced staff; as well as measures combining tax law implementation and combating software piracy.

AmCham representatives also advocated for increasing the financial thresholds in the Competition Law to match GDP growth and inflation.

Also discussed were legislative initiatives in the area of environmental policies, Water Act, Waste Treatment Act and concessions on mineral water bottling.

AmCham said that agreement was reached at the meetings that there was room for further improvement in the texts of some laws.

The parliamentary caucuses invited AmCham to submit concrete legislative text proposals in a timely manner between the first and the second hearing of the 2009 State Budget and the tax laws in Parliament, AmCham said.