Bulgarian Press Review August 13, 2009

Press Review
Sofia, August 13 (BTA)

ECONOMY

Today's dailies give front-page prominence to the data about the national budget published by the Finance Ministry. "Dnevnik" writes in a headline that there is budget hole for the first time in the past 65 months; "Monitor": The Treasury Is Empty, Boiko Calls Stanishev"; "Sega": "Stanishev Blew The Budget Surplus in a Month"; "24 Chassa": Borissov Send Stanishev and Oresharski for Face-off with Djankov"; "Troud": "Budget Deficit of 372,400, 000 Leva."
"Troud" says that in July alone the budget deficit exceeded 550 million leva year-on-year. Angered by the deficit, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said that ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev and ex-finance minister Plamen Oresharski would be asked to come to the Finance Ministry to give an account of the situation at the Treasury in the presence of the media.
"Dnevnik" says that Oresharski has accepted the invitation and today is meeting with his successor Simeon Djankov. Stanishev's government spent the budget surplus posted in January 2009 to the last penny, the daily notes. Reacting to the accusations of the new government, Oresharski stated that the buffers envisaged in the budget totalled 3,900 million leva and that "only a clairvoyant could predict exactly how the processes would unfold this year."
"I was not surprised by the deficit but by its amount which increased due to pre-election spending," Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov says in an interview for
"Pari." Djankov expects larger budget revenues from excise duties, the collectability of which should be ensured by the National Customs Agency; from VAT - responsible for VAT compliance is the National Revenue Agency; and from the energy sector. Djankov expects a drop of 2 per cent in Bulgaria's GDP in 2010, saying that after the deep crisis the Bulgarian economy will grow significantly, increasing by nearly 8 per cent in 2011-2012. "Employers' organizations want a reduction in social insurance contributions by 5 per cent and I support this rate but believe that the reduction should be a step-by-step one: 2 per cent in 2010, and 1 per cent each in the following two years," Djankov says.


HOME SCENE

"Douma" announces that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) will launch a probe investigating the procedure involved in approving school textbooks. "Express" writes that according to Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova she received a lot of reports about irregularities in the approval of textbook and that is why she asked SANS to conduct a check. "Troud" reports that the government will allocate 26 million leva for schools and kindergartens applying successfully the system of delegated budgets.

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Under the headline "1,000 Million Down the Drains" "Standart News says that 1,000 projects for construction of village sewerage systems that cost between 500,000 leva and 4 million leva have been approved by the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Conservation Activities with the Ministry of Environment and Water and the European funds. The daily refers to Environment and Water Minister Nona Karadjova, who says that 720 million leva from the budget have been spent in the last four years for providing small settlements with sewerage systems, while only 1 per cent of the money went to the construction of waste-water treatment plants for towns with over 10,000 population.

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The press reports about the appointment of 18 new regional governors: of Blagoevgrad, Bourgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kurdjali, Montana, Pernik, Plovdiv, Rousse, Silistra, Smolyan, Sofia City, Sofia Region, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo and Vratsa. They are described in the following way: "municipal councillors and leaders of GERB's local chapters, a mayor, and former officers, some of them agents of the former State Security Committee" ("Dnevnik"); "counterintelligence officers, municipal councillors and people having serious businesses" ("24 Chassa"); "Lawyer Takes Sofia, Teacher - Blagoevgrad" ("Standart News"). The government is yet to decide who the governors of the remaining 10 regions would be.

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"Pirinski Clears Himself for Repair of MPs' Dwellings," "24 Chassa" says in a headline. Commenting on reports about abuse and uncontrolled spending of money by the administration of the 40th National Assembly, "Troud" writes that according to former National Assembly chairman Georgi Pirinski (of the Bulgarian Socialist Party), a special 800,000 leva public procurement contract was awarded for the repair of MPs' dwellings due to a SANS position on security presented in writing.
"Douma" quotes Pirinski as saying that the major facts about the four-year term of the previous government should not be misrepresented.

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"State Plucks Up Courage, Declares Part of Dogan's Property Unlawful," "Sega" says in a front-page headline. The National Directorate for Construction Control has opened a file checking
the legality of a real estate Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan hold in Sofia's Boyana Borough, "Troud" reports. Most of the other dailies discuss the same theme.


INTERIOR MINISTRY, JUDICIARY


The dailies report about the replacement of senior officials at the Interior Ministry announced by Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. The government has proposed to the President to relieve Pavlin Dimitrov of his duties as Commissioner General of the Interior Ministry and to appoint the head of Criminal Police General Directorate, Kalin Georgiev, to this position.

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Referring to Interior Minister Tsvetanov, "24 Chassa" writes on its front page that policemen will use combat bullets instead of hollow-point ones.

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"Dnevnik" says that the Interior Ministry, the National Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency are investigating 16 companies for fuel smuggling acting on information from operatives and tip-offs.

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"Troud" carries an interview with the interior minister who says that according to data of international organizations, there were 610,000 crimes committed in Bulgaria in 2008 but only 20 per cent of them got registered as crime victims rarely inform the Interior Ministry about them.

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A commission of the Belene prison allowed the transfer of Dimiter Zhelyazkov, aka Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes), convicted on charges of organized crime and drug trafficking, to an open prison facility situated in Kazichene, near Sofia, "Dnevnik" writes. However, Zhelyazkov spent only three days in Kazichene and was sent back to Belene. Deputy Justice Minister Hristo Angelov failed to explain why allowing Zhelyazkov's transfer the commission had not taken into account the fact that the former drug boss is pending trial on other charges, too.
"Troud" front-pages a photo which the paper has been sent and which shows that Zhelyazkov was spotted outside the Kazichene prison facility on August 9.


SOCIETY


The theme of today's issue of "Troud" is the reform of education. According to an extensive item, the academic year will start without any surprises but the lack of a law on secondary education makes doubtful the optimization of the school network and the operation of the new system of decentralized financing. The new Education, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova will not use velvet gloves as her predecessors did when the reforms of education are at stake, "Troud" says quoting Fandakova. The education minister has got to cope with four tasks: giving weight to school leaving examinations; proving that the so-called "external assessments"
(examinations held at the end of every academic year) are real tests showing the condition of education; reversal of Bulgaria's decline in international literacy grading; providing teachers with such status as to prevent their being seen any more as people who teach at school because they have no better choice.

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"Dnevnik" publishes an interview with Dr Tsvetan Raychinov, recently elected President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, who says that without legalized out-of-pocket payments there cannot be quality health care at this stage in Bulgaria.












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 – August 13, 2009

• As of 1 January 2010 Bulgaria might have to return between EUR 500 million and EUR 700 million in ISPA funds because of its failure to implement projects or because of delays, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev says in an interview with FOCUS News Agency. This is the conclusion Minister Plevneliev has come to after examining the documents he has received since he took over the post. For example, the risk is high with the integrated water project in the northern municipality of Ruse because the delays are enormous. The delay of Lot 2 is a year and 5-6 months. The work done is 4%, instead of 75-76%. So the risk is enormous, he says. If by the end of 2010 the project is not accomplished in compliance with ISPA rules, Bulgaria starts returning large sums, he says and notes that the government is aware of that risk and starts taking measures.

• Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has set a date for partial local elections in capital Sofia and northwestern municipality of Vratsa – 15 November, the press service of the President’s Office announced.
In compliance with article 98, item 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and in connection with article 106, paragraph 1 of the Local Elections Act, President Georgi Parvanov determined that on 15 November 2009 the municipalities of Sofia and Vratsa will hold partial mayoral elections.

• Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has asked for a speedy investigation by the prosecutor's office into decisions made by the previous government. Borisov was talking at the opening of a 2,5 km renovated section of road between Boulevard G.M. Dimitrov and the Sofia Ring Road. He said; "For years huge surpluses were talked, and now these surpluses are gone and we do not have roads." Borisov added that given the abuse of major budget items he had asked the Chief Prosecutor to shorten the time limits on investigations into the decisions taken by the former PM Sergey Stanishev's cabinet. Asked about the words of former Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski, who suggested that the hole in the budget is not that large, Borisov stated that it depends on you point of view and whether you care about the country. Oresharski, has accepted the invitation of his successor Simeon Djankov, and PM Borisov for a meeting.