Bulgarian Press Review September 9, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, September 14 (BTA)


HOME SCENE

"24 Chassa" writes in a frontpage story that experts of the ministries of finance and social affairs are considering a ceiling of 800 leva for pensions, extended by the end of 2009. Now, the ceiling is 700 leva and it will be effective by January 1, 2010. The idea is to prevent unequal treatment of 41,900 people that are to retire by the year's end.

An economists' report, drafted on order by President Georgi Purvanov, proposes a tax threshold of 1,000 leva and a 20 per cent tax for the rich, the "Troud" paper writes. Days after the exchange of sharp-worded messages on energy issues between President Purvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the Head of State is delivering a second blow by urging the new Government to adopt urgently an anticrisis plan and criticizing the cabinet of ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev of squandering.

A year after the emergence of the crisis, Bulgaria still does not have an economic plan to take the country out of the recession and guarantee development, "Troud" writes referring to the report. It has been drafted mostly by experts of the Economic Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: senior research associate Mitko Dimitrov Ph.D., Prof. Garabed Minassyan, Ph.D., Assoc Prof. Stoyan Alexandrov, Ph.D., etc.

The number of people, who consider that Bulgaria is seriously affected by the world economic crisis, increased by 20 points in the past six months, according to an opinion poll conducted by Gallup for the "Klassa" paper. The share of working Bulgarians feeling personally endangered of lay-offs due to the economic stagnation is 4 per cent up.

Purvanov criticized Borissov too early, Blagoevgrad Mayor and former Left MP Konstantin Paskalev is quoted by "Troud" as saying. According to Paskalev, each government needs time to establish itself and the incumbent one is coping with this task relatively fast. Paskalev says that relations with the local authorities are the nearest submerged rock for the Cabinet. So far the ministries would not pay the money for various projects in time creating financial problems for the municipalities and this absurd situation should be eliminated, the Blagoevgrad Mayor further says cited by the paper.

Construction of the last section of the Trakiya Motorway will probably begin in April, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev says over the Bulgarian National Radio cited by "24 Chassa". However, there are certain problems: the lack of a clear route and of a construction permit. The Minister is quoted by "Troud" as saying that round-the-clock work will be needed so as to obtain a construction permit in February.

"Sega" cites Agriculture Fund Executive Director Kalina Ilieva as saying that Brussels will provide instructions about the funds in agriculture on a monthly basis.

The State Agency for National Security (SANS) would submit reports on forest and land swaps to former Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev but the latter would not take any action, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov is quoted as saying by the "Ataka" paper.

"We are monitoring all public procurement contracts," Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov says in an interview for "24 Chassa". He is also quoted as saying that the highest number of reports for abuse concerns the Regional Development Ministry, the Environment Ministry, the Social Ministry and the Ministry of Defence.

Interviewed by the "Troud" paper, Stoyan Mavrodiev MP of GERB, who heads a commission recently established to investigate Sergei Stanishev's cabinet, says that one of the issues high on the agenda of the discussions is the disbursement of a budget surplus of 4,000 million leva during the last year of tenure of the previous government.

A circle of companies, close to the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), syphoned the budget of the Agriculture Fund, "Ataka" writes on its front page. Ataka Party leader Volen Siderov is quoted as saying that Purvanov and MRF leader Ahmed Dogan may face trial, if the "shady affairs of their oligarchs are investigated".

ECONOMY

The banks are firmly against part of the contemplated legislative changes, which would increase the protection of clients having taken consumer loans, "Sega" writes. The banks insist not to be deprived of the right to change unilaterally clauses of the contracts. This is the position of the Association of Bankers in Bulgaria on the Consumer Credit Bill. The Bill concerns loans of 400 to 147,000 leva. It transposes the provisions of the EU directive about this type of loans and is expected to take effects as of June 11, 2010.

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"The Entrepreneurs in Bulgaria: Cautious Optimists after Year of Crisis," reads a frontpage headline in "Dnevnik". Exactly a year after the emergence of the world financial crisis, the data about the Bulgarian economy seem worrying at the least, the paper writes. The author says that in 12 months the Gross Domestic Product fell by some 5 per cent, bad credits within the banking system doubled, employment grew by 40 per cent and industry shrank by 30 per cent. The future is still unclear; managers and entrepreneurs refrain from categoric forecasts but they are already more optimistic, reads the article.

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"Monitor" writes about revival of the market of used cars. Experts are quoted as saying that the demand for used cars of up to 10,000 leva has increased considerably compared to the first quarter of the year.

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The prices will fall further, VIVACOM CEO Bernard Moscheni says cited by "24 Chassa". A single invoicing system and a structure, focused on the development of services, are about to be installed.

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"Troud" writes that tailoring and shoewear companies use the cover of cooperatives of disabled so as to enjoy social security and tax reliefs. At the same time they pay their employees salaries of 110 to 200 leva, the paper says.



JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

A total of 1,355 children and youth up to the age of 17 were wounded in incidents in 2008, "Douma" writes referring to the official statistics of the Interior Ministry. Twelve children died and 521 were wounded as pedestrians. Fourteen died and 209 were wounded while driving bicycles, mopeds or motorcycles. Of the passengers, who died and were wounded last year, 48 and 655, respectively, were minors. A total of 703 children suffered in incidents caused or involving adults. At the beginning of the new school year the Interior Ministry is launching concrete measures for enhancing children's security and limiting the preconditions for traffic accidents.

EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE

The 2009-2010 school year will be a test for the discipline in schools, "Sega" writes in an analysis.

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The price of textbooks for eighth-grade school children has doubled compared to last year, "Telegraf" writes.

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"Dnevnik" cites cardiosurgeon Prof. Alexander Chirkov as proposing that the Health Minister is assisted by a Doctors' Board of Experts. According to Teodora Zaharieva, Chairperson of the Centre for the Protection of Rights in Healthcare, the prophylaxis of socially relevant diseases is a main task.

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Through the "Troud" paper actor Kosta Tsonev thanks Dr. Alexander Chirkov for a recently performed cardiovascular operation. Tsonev recently marked his 80th anniversary.

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All papers write that Bulgaria's volleyball team took the bronze at the European Championship in Turkey after beating Russia.


Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:

• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/


Most discussed topics of the day – September 14, 2009


• Bulgaria President Georgi Parvanov has slammed both the new and old governments in his fourth Presidential report and has also proposed drastic tax reforms. Bulgaria's finance minister Simeon Djankov has described as "insane" the proposal and commented: "The flat tax rate has turned into an institution in Bulgaria and its removal will doom the country to two or three years of economic decline. This is not a proposal that good experts would make."

• In the last 20 years the Bulgarian Customs were ruled by organized criminal groups, the Customs new Director, General Vanyo Tanov, admitted in a special interview for the morning block of the Bulgarian TV channel bTV, adding that there was murky business both at the Customs Agency and the Interior Ministry.

• Bulgaria customs officials have discovered 95 kg of heroin (amount to more than BGN 11 million) at the Kalotina border crossing in a Turkish lorry trying to cross the Bulgaria-Serbian border. Customs officers have prevented four attempts for illegal heroin trafficking at total amount of 173 kg over the last 20 days.