The Bulgarian government has put forward a draft decree proposing to raise the official poverty line from 638 leva to 764 leva (326 euros to 390 euros), effective from January 1. This proposal, reflecting a nearly 20% increase, has been open for public consultation for a month and is scheduled for discussion this Wednesday by the Commission on Income and Living Standards at the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation. Currently, about 1.4 million people in Bulgaria, almost 22% of the