On October 26, 2025, Ms. Daniela Ushatova, Head of the “Local Policies and Finance” Team at the National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria (NAMRB), delivered a guest lecture to students from the Master’s program “Economics and Management of Public Resources”.

Ms. Ushatova has over 25 years of professional experience in the field of local finance and municipal operations. She has held management positions both in the banking sector and within municipal administration, and has participated in numerous projects related to local governance development and municipal services.

Since 2011, Ms. Ushatova has led a team at NAMRB focusing on local finance, local taxes and fees, and the financing and management of municipal services. She is also the author of specialized publications, analyses, and advisory reports prepared by NAMRB on local self-government and local administration in Bulgaria.

The lecture was part of the course “Local Finance” and covered the following topics:

• “Powers of Local Self-Government Bodies in Bulgaria”
• “Budget Procedure and Types of Budgets”

Students from the Master’s program „Economics and Management of Public Resources“ actively participated in the discussion, particularly regarding upcoming changes to waste collection fees.

During the session, students also examined practical case studies related to the budget process, the roles of mayors and municipal councilors, and issues concerning local taxes and fees.