Press Review
Sofia, September 28 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
The dailies give prominence to a decision of Socialist ministers of the Stanishev cabinet to waive the amnesty for former senior officials, which is opposed by the ruling GERB party. Ten Socialists who answer this description - the former ministers of the Left and ex-premier Sergei Stanishev, who are now MPs, will declare to Prosecutor General Boris Velchev this week that they will waive protection under the Amnesty Act if charges are brought against them. This decision was made at a Socialist Party seminar over the weekend. "Dnevnik" recalls that the government recently asked the Constitutional Court to pronounce on provisions which, according to the new power-holders, give immunity to politicians who held senior jobs. The Bulgarian Socialist Party countered by saying that GERB was looking for excuses because there was no evidence of any offences.
"24 Chassa" reports that the participants in the seminar also decided to call for a minimum wage of 280 leva instead of 240 leva now, or for a tax threshold of 240 leva. Either measure would offset the higher excise duty on fuels from January 1, which will hit worst the lowest income groups, the Socialists argued. They claimed, however, that they were not backpedalling on the flat personal income tax rate introduced by the Stanishev cabinet.
A commentary in "Troud" says that now that it is in opposition, the Socialist Party is much more concerned about the lowest income groups than when it was in office.
"Troud" has interviewed Kasim Dal, deputy leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), who says the party's worst problem now, is that it is almost fully isolated and should do something about this. He also says the MRF will not name a mayoral candidate in Sofia's byelection but will back one of the nominees.
Yane Yanev, leader of the Order, Lawfulness, Justice Party, has opposed the newly established Muslim Democratic Union party, invoking the Constitution which bans parties based on religion or ethnic origin, "24 Chassa" reports. Yanev will ask the State Agency for National Security and the prosecuting magistracy to question the party founders. "Standart News" says the Ataka party also called on the prosecutors to probe the new party. The "Ataka" newspaper quotes Ataka leader Volen Siderov as saying that the new party is a provocation through which the MRF wants to undermine the new government.
***
"Troud" leads with a story headlined "Brussels Provides Money for Second Line of Underground Railway". The European Commission has approved 185 million euro in financing for a line linking
the Nadezhda road junction in the northeast of the city to Cherni Vruh Boulevard in the southern Lozenets Quarter via the Central Railway Station, Sveta Nedelya Square and the National Palace of Culture, the daily says, quoting Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. He stressed that this is the largest amount of financing that Bulgaria has ever received for an infrastructure project. "Standart News" says the new line should go into operation in 2012 and 3,000 jobs will be created during its construction.
***
"Monitor" reports that the National Revenue Agency is launching massive conflict of interest checks on inspectors and their spouses in October.
***
"Standart News" reports that 500 employees of the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) staged a protest at Gorna Oryahovitsa railway station. They are angry at the irregular payment of wages and railway service closures. The rally was held despite Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov's pledge that wages would be regularly paid once the backlog of back wages was cleared at the end of October. "Douma" says that more than 300 protestors gathered. The company owes about 30 million leva to nearly 30,000 BDZ employees, and July wages have already been paid.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
In a front-page story headlined "Policemen: Laws in Bulgaria Vindicate Mafia", "Troud" covers a protest staged by Interior Ministry employees. Hundreds of policemen gathered in central Sofia to call for harsher punishments for assault on policemen. "Standart News" says a memorial service was held for policemen killed in the line of duty. Deputy Interior Minister Vesselin Vouchkov, who attended it, promised that legal amendments would be drafted by the end of October to guarantee protection to policemen.
"Dnevnik" quotes Dimiter Tanev, head of the Chamber of Notaries, as saying that all notaries will be linked in an information network from October 17 as a tool against property fraud.
In the last ten years 40,180 Bulgarians did or are doing time in over 100 prisons around the world, "Standart News" reports, quoting the first ever statistics about Bulgarian prisoners abroad. Most prisoners were convicted of ATM fraud. The number of Bulgarian prisoners is largest in Germany and Greece.
THE ECONOMY
A day after the newspapers wrote about a planned increase in the excise duty on cigarettes, "Dnevnik" says that the Finance Ministry is mulling a higher excise duty on fuels from the beginning of 2010. Government sources have said the reason is the need to increase revenues in 2010 as the draft budget is being discussed at the Finance Ministry.
"Klassa" leads with a story about the 2010 draft budget. The daily learned from the financial decentralization adviser to the National Association of Municipalities that state transfers to the municipalities would be at least 10 per cent lower than in 2009.
A World Bank analysis shows that stamp duty in Bulgaria rose 60 per cent between 2005 and 2008 but it is unclear if this increased budget revenues, "Dnevnik" writes. The World Bank found that the fees for administrative services generate income which is often spent on the clerks' bonuses, although the law requires that citizens pay just the cost incurred by the State in issuing a licence. The fee-setting policy is described as uncoordinated, inconsistent and non-transparent, "Dnevnik" says.
"Troud" writes that businesses are not optimistic that the crisis will end in the near future, judging from a business climate survey of the National Statistical Institute. One in two companies has problems with economic uncertainty, one in five has financial problems, and almost one in four is planning job cuts, the Institute's Chair Mariana Kotseva says. Construction managers are most pessimistic about the next six months.
Roumyana Mihailova, Executive Director of the Chief Labour Inspectorate, says a proposal will be made to change fines so as to reflect the seriousness of the violation, the attenuating circumstances and the offender's financial status.
"Sega" reports that the Supreme Administrative Court will decide the fate of the Kremikovtzi steel mill at the end of January. On January 29, the court is to pronounce whether 700 million leva in state aid should be added to the company's debts.
In a "Novinar" interview, EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva says that new rules become effective in the EU as of November 1 concerning bank account transfers. It will be banks, not clients, who will have to transfer all documents when a client switches to a different bank.
"Troud" recalls the most scandalous sell-offs in a Top 10 list of privatizers under suspicion 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 – September 28, 2009
• The newly formed Muslim-Democratic party is anti constitutional: PM Boyko Borisov said. He had assigned the authorities to check the issue, which would be solved in compliance with the Constitution.
• PM Boyko Borisov will attend the opening of the 65th International Technical Fair in the town of Plovdiv. The International Technical Fair is the biggest exhibit forum of investment goods and technologies in Southeastern Europe. The International Technical Fair exhibits the latest developments of the world's leading companies in machine building, automobiles, transport, information technologies, software, electronics, electrical engineering, construction, chemistry, power engineering, ecology, etc. Over 1900 firms from 44 countries will take part in the exhibition.
• The fate of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant project will be clear at the end of October, PM Borissov told journalists on Monday. He added that he had discussed the project with the General Manager of Germany's RWE Power AG, a strategic partner in a joint venture for the implementation of the project to build and operate Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant. The german company RWE wants to continue its involvement in NPP project "Belene", despite the financial difficulties which we have, PM elaborated.
mandag den 28. september 2009
fredag den 25. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review, September 25, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 25 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
Under the headline "Kovachki Nailed," "Troud" reports that on Thursday the Sofia City Court froze immovables and movables, corporate interests and bank accounts belonging to one of the wealthiest Bulgarians, businessman Hristo Kovachki, and members of his family, worth a record 143 million leva-plus. "The Kovachki garnishment is the greatest score of the Criminal Assets Identification Commission since its establishment in 2005. Experts find a glaring difference between the declared income and the expenses of the energy mogul. "I will prove that I am right in court," Kovachki reacted in a statement for the daily.
* * *
"Troud" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that "if you harm a policeman, you face double penalty." "This is an unwritten rule worldwide, which is why nobody should dare lift a hand against a uniformed officer," the PM emphasized after visiting policeman Dimiter Dimitrov at the Interior Ministry Hospital on Thursday. Dimitrov was attacked and beaten up by a drugs dealer. "I have ordered the deputy interior ministers to have the law amended very soon, introducing very stringent sanctions in such cases. The law must be crystal clear: nothing but imprisonment for an assault against a policeman."
* * *
Under the heading "SANS Report Like Loch Ness Monster," "Monitor" carries an interview with Prosecutor General Boris Velchev. The report in question was allegedly prepared by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and allegedly named at least ten corrupt government ministers. Velchev describes the situation as "absurd" and stresses that right from the beginning it became clear that there is no such report. "A minister will not be convicted unless evidence of his guilt is collected. A minister will be convicted when the prosecution collects evidence of the guilt of the official concerned and the court admits this evidence as sufficient."
* * *
Interviewed for "Troud," National Association of Municipalities President and Smolyan Mayor Dora Yankova describe as "chaotic" the debate over the abolition of 53 municipalities. "All that talk gives rise to tension among mayors. The National Association of Municipalities is inundated with letters demanding a clarification of the situation. The mayors insist on a principled position on the setting up and abolition of municipalities in Bulgaria. And above all on the possible consequences of such a decision."
* * *
"Oligarchy is in a new phase of mutation," sociologist Antonii Gulubov told "Sega." He notes that the model of post-totalitarian oligarchy, established in Bulgaria some eight years ago, has evolved very rapidly. "In the first weeks and months of the new government, one of the most serious challenges will be precisely to differentiate the strategies of this type of corporate interests which will seek an opportunity for an accommodation with the new power-holders, the way they had reached full accord with the previous ones. Undoubtedly, there is tension; acute conflicts over influence redistribution are unfolding beneath the deceptively calm surface of public life."
* * *
"Many Congresses, Few Surprises:" under this heading, "Troud" comments that "the principal parties will hold congresses one after the other as from November, but passions will rise to red hot only in the Bulgarian Socialist Party. In December, Boyko Borissov will be formally installed as leader of GERB. The high point of the forum will be his speech, which will be structured on a carrot and stick basis. The BSP is in a conundrum. The red realize that they are at a dead end and the October 18 congress will decide nothing. On December 12 and 13, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms will hold a sad congress of those who lost power despite doing so well in the elections. The severest test that the party faces is how to cope with the aggression that has built up against it. For once, the Union of Democratic Forces will hold its forum according to its statute - after the revisions pushed through by former leader Plamen Yuroukov, a new party leadership must be elected after each parliamentary election. The congress of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in October is also expected to be dramatic, considering that they failed to return a single candidate of theirs to Parliament. In November, the National Movement for Surge and Stability is expected to elect a "new king." After the July 5 election debacle, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha resigned.
* * *
"The future of the BSP depends on the Sofia mayoral byelections," argues Georgi Kadiev, who was formally nominated by the Socialists for mayor of the capital city. In a "Novinar" interview, Kadiev asserts that the Socialists need a new policy and a new chairman. He admits that he finds it easier to race at the expert level, but the real race is the political one.
ECONOMY
In an interview for "Troud", Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov agrees that the policy he implements hinders a lot of interests. "I see Borissov three or four times a day, so as long as he is behind me, and so are the security guards, and the public, too, which wants this do happen, I don't care about the sharks. The task of Mr Borissov and Mr Tsvetanov is to defend everybody who get the reform going. My job is to put public finances in order - on a tight schedule," the Minister says. "Where have 400 million leva vanished, allocated by the budget for a joint venture between the National Electric Company and the Russian side for the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant?" Djankov asks. "So far nothing has been built in Belene, the company has not been incorporated, and the money has gone." The 400 million were committed on a proposal by former economy minister Peter Dimitrov, but without the approval of finance minister Plamen Oresharski. The mystery is expected to be solved by the National Audit Office, which is now auditing the National Electric Company and the Bulgarian Energy Forum.
* * *
In "24 Chassa", Dimo Gyaourov MP of the Blue Coalition warns that "the debt deal may cost us a loss of 4,000 million leva." He suggests that independent researcher’s invesigate the 2002 swap of Bulgaria's foreign debt. Gyaourov argues that at that time there was no information, it was unclear whether an analysis of the consequences and the benefits of the operation had been made. These questions remain unanswered to this very day. According to Gyaourov, the deal is not only unprofitable for taxpayers but probably somebody derived a personal benefit from it. Back in 2002 experts asserted that the State would lose a lump sum of 300 to 500 million leva. At present, they are already talking about 700-800 million leva. "In the long term, the losses may allegedly reach 2,000-3,000-4,000 million leva," the MP says. "Pari" recalls that the Bulgarian debt swap was implemented by then finance minister Milen Velchev. It was approved by Parliament, and all that political fuss is therefore unnecessary.
"Troud" reports that the wholesale price of natural gas will rise 2.49 per cent to 374.13 leva/1,000 cu m before VAT as from October 1. The move was considered by the State Energy and Water Regulatory Agency on Thursday. The increase is due to the appreciation of oil and petroleum products, on which the price of Russian gas is based. The hike is insignificant and will not lead to an adjustment of the price of heat power. As from January 1, 2010, however, natural gas will surge by 20 per cent or even more, state-owned Bulgargaz forecasts.
"Troud" reports that the ceiling on all newly granted pensions after January 1, 2010 will be lifted. "This is provided for in the Social Insurance Code, and the laws are there to be observed," Deputy Social Policy Minister Hristina Mitreva said on Thursday after the first meeting of the new Consultative Council on Pension Reform. According to Mitreva, an average 93,000 persons will retire in 2010. "The self-insured and the employers who do not pay retirement and health insurance contributions or understate the wages of their employees will risk imprisonment," writes "Sega", quoted Labour and Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov.
"No More Experiments in Health Sector, Please," "Sega" comments. It notes that some of Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev's reform ideas are, "to put it mildly, mind-boggling and infeasible." "For instance, giving part of the package of the National Health Insurance Fund to the private health insurance funds. Even now, people can contract supplementary insurance for the same things that the funds have yet to offer them. Interest, however, is rather lukewarm: the market is for some 30 million leva, thanks to corporate clients that ensure their employees. When the private funds are allowed into compulsory health insurance, pre-hospital care will obviously be driven to such a state that people will be compelled to take out a 'voluntary' insurance just to be able to see a doctor."
FOREIGN POLICY
In an analysis on the election of Irina Bokova as Director-General of UNESCO, "24 Chassa" writes that most Bulgarians learnt the news with mixed feelings. On the one hand, there is the patriotic fervour that a fellow Bulgarian is heading such an important world organization. On the other hand, there is her connection to the communist nomenklatura: she is a daughter of the former editor-in-chief of "Rabotnichesko Delo" Georgi Bokov. But what matters more is that Bokova's victory is perceived as a moral triumph. A triumph of the ethical imprative over real politics. That is to say, values take the upper hand of interests in international relations."
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 25, 2009
• Bulgaria Mobile Communication Prices Down 30% by July 2010. Prices of terminated calls between mobile operators and of mobile and fixed telephone connections at wholesale price as of July 1, 2010 would fall to European, said chairperson of the Communications Regulation Commission Veselin Bozhkov.
• Loses of the FC Levski amount to BGN 2 million, said executive director of the club Konstantin Bazhdekov during news conference. In his words loses are due to change in methods and accountancy of the club. Revenues of the team over the last year amounted to BGN 11 million and expanse-about BGN 13 million. About BGN 1 mollion have been paid for insurances of football players.
• The construction of the Shipka tunnel may commence in 2014, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev said at the National Assembly Friday.
Sofia, September 25 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
Under the headline "Kovachki Nailed," "Troud" reports that on Thursday the Sofia City Court froze immovables and movables, corporate interests and bank accounts belonging to one of the wealthiest Bulgarians, businessman Hristo Kovachki, and members of his family, worth a record 143 million leva-plus. "The Kovachki garnishment is the greatest score of the Criminal Assets Identification Commission since its establishment in 2005. Experts find a glaring difference between the declared income and the expenses of the energy mogul. "I will prove that I am right in court," Kovachki reacted in a statement for the daily.
* * *
"Troud" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that "if you harm a policeman, you face double penalty." "This is an unwritten rule worldwide, which is why nobody should dare lift a hand against a uniformed officer," the PM emphasized after visiting policeman Dimiter Dimitrov at the Interior Ministry Hospital on Thursday. Dimitrov was attacked and beaten up by a drugs dealer. "I have ordered the deputy interior ministers to have the law amended very soon, introducing very stringent sanctions in such cases. The law must be crystal clear: nothing but imprisonment for an assault against a policeman."
* * *
Under the heading "SANS Report Like Loch Ness Monster," "Monitor" carries an interview with Prosecutor General Boris Velchev. The report in question was allegedly prepared by the State Agency for National Security (SANS) and allegedly named at least ten corrupt government ministers. Velchev describes the situation as "absurd" and stresses that right from the beginning it became clear that there is no such report. "A minister will not be convicted unless evidence of his guilt is collected. A minister will be convicted when the prosecution collects evidence of the guilt of the official concerned and the court admits this evidence as sufficient."
* * *
Interviewed for "Troud," National Association of Municipalities President and Smolyan Mayor Dora Yankova describe as "chaotic" the debate over the abolition of 53 municipalities. "All that talk gives rise to tension among mayors. The National Association of Municipalities is inundated with letters demanding a clarification of the situation. The mayors insist on a principled position on the setting up and abolition of municipalities in Bulgaria. And above all on the possible consequences of such a decision."
* * *
"Oligarchy is in a new phase of mutation," sociologist Antonii Gulubov told "Sega." He notes that the model of post-totalitarian oligarchy, established in Bulgaria some eight years ago, has evolved very rapidly. "In the first weeks and months of the new government, one of the most serious challenges will be precisely to differentiate the strategies of this type of corporate interests which will seek an opportunity for an accommodation with the new power-holders, the way they had reached full accord with the previous ones. Undoubtedly, there is tension; acute conflicts over influence redistribution are unfolding beneath the deceptively calm surface of public life."
* * *
"Many Congresses, Few Surprises:" under this heading, "Troud" comments that "the principal parties will hold congresses one after the other as from November, but passions will rise to red hot only in the Bulgarian Socialist Party. In December, Boyko Borissov will be formally installed as leader of GERB. The high point of the forum will be his speech, which will be structured on a carrot and stick basis. The BSP is in a conundrum. The red realize that they are at a dead end and the October 18 congress will decide nothing. On December 12 and 13, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms will hold a sad congress of those who lost power despite doing so well in the elections. The severest test that the party faces is how to cope with the aggression that has built up against it. For once, the Union of Democratic Forces will hold its forum according to its statute - after the revisions pushed through by former leader Plamen Yuroukov, a new party leadership must be elected after each parliamentary election. The congress of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization in October is also expected to be dramatic, considering that they failed to return a single candidate of theirs to Parliament. In November, the National Movement for Surge and Stability is expected to elect a "new king." After the July 5 election debacle, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha resigned.
* * *
"The future of the BSP depends on the Sofia mayoral byelections," argues Georgi Kadiev, who was formally nominated by the Socialists for mayor of the capital city. In a "Novinar" interview, Kadiev asserts that the Socialists need a new policy and a new chairman. He admits that he finds it easier to race at the expert level, but the real race is the political one.
ECONOMY
In an interview for "Troud", Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov agrees that the policy he implements hinders a lot of interests. "I see Borissov three or four times a day, so as long as he is behind me, and so are the security guards, and the public, too, which wants this do happen, I don't care about the sharks. The task of Mr Borissov and Mr Tsvetanov is to defend everybody who get the reform going. My job is to put public finances in order - on a tight schedule," the Minister says. "Where have 400 million leva vanished, allocated by the budget for a joint venture between the National Electric Company and the Russian side for the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant?" Djankov asks. "So far nothing has been built in Belene, the company has not been incorporated, and the money has gone." The 400 million were committed on a proposal by former economy minister Peter Dimitrov, but without the approval of finance minister Plamen Oresharski. The mystery is expected to be solved by the National Audit Office, which is now auditing the National Electric Company and the Bulgarian Energy Forum.
* * *
In "24 Chassa", Dimo Gyaourov MP of the Blue Coalition warns that "the debt deal may cost us a loss of 4,000 million leva." He suggests that independent researcher’s invesigate the 2002 swap of Bulgaria's foreign debt. Gyaourov argues that at that time there was no information, it was unclear whether an analysis of the consequences and the benefits of the operation had been made. These questions remain unanswered to this very day. According to Gyaourov, the deal is not only unprofitable for taxpayers but probably somebody derived a personal benefit from it. Back in 2002 experts asserted that the State would lose a lump sum of 300 to 500 million leva. At present, they are already talking about 700-800 million leva. "In the long term, the losses may allegedly reach 2,000-3,000-4,000 million leva," the MP says. "Pari" recalls that the Bulgarian debt swap was implemented by then finance minister Milen Velchev. It was approved by Parliament, and all that political fuss is therefore unnecessary.
"Troud" reports that the wholesale price of natural gas will rise 2.49 per cent to 374.13 leva/1,000 cu m before VAT as from October 1. The move was considered by the State Energy and Water Regulatory Agency on Thursday. The increase is due to the appreciation of oil and petroleum products, on which the price of Russian gas is based. The hike is insignificant and will not lead to an adjustment of the price of heat power. As from January 1, 2010, however, natural gas will surge by 20 per cent or even more, state-owned Bulgargaz forecasts.
"Troud" reports that the ceiling on all newly granted pensions after January 1, 2010 will be lifted. "This is provided for in the Social Insurance Code, and the laws are there to be observed," Deputy Social Policy Minister Hristina Mitreva said on Thursday after the first meeting of the new Consultative Council on Pension Reform. According to Mitreva, an average 93,000 persons will retire in 2010. "The self-insured and the employers who do not pay retirement and health insurance contributions or understate the wages of their employees will risk imprisonment," writes "Sega", quoted Labour and Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov.
"No More Experiments in Health Sector, Please," "Sega" comments. It notes that some of Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev's reform ideas are, "to put it mildly, mind-boggling and infeasible." "For instance, giving part of the package of the National Health Insurance Fund to the private health insurance funds. Even now, people can contract supplementary insurance for the same things that the funds have yet to offer them. Interest, however, is rather lukewarm: the market is for some 30 million leva, thanks to corporate clients that ensure their employees. When the private funds are allowed into compulsory health insurance, pre-hospital care will obviously be driven to such a state that people will be compelled to take out a 'voluntary' insurance just to be able to see a doctor."
FOREIGN POLICY
In an analysis on the election of Irina Bokova as Director-General of UNESCO, "24 Chassa" writes that most Bulgarians learnt the news with mixed feelings. On the one hand, there is the patriotic fervour that a fellow Bulgarian is heading such an important world organization. On the other hand, there is her connection to the communist nomenklatura: she is a daughter of the former editor-in-chief of "Rabotnichesko Delo" Georgi Bokov. But what matters more is that Bokova's victory is perceived as a moral triumph. A triumph of the ethical imprative over real politics. That is to say, values take the upper hand of interests in international relations."
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 25, 2009
• Bulgaria Mobile Communication Prices Down 30% by July 2010. Prices of terminated calls between mobile operators and of mobile and fixed telephone connections at wholesale price as of July 1, 2010 would fall to European, said chairperson of the Communications Regulation Commission Veselin Bozhkov.
• Loses of the FC Levski amount to BGN 2 million, said executive director of the club Konstantin Bazhdekov during news conference. In his words loses are due to change in methods and accountancy of the club. Revenues of the team over the last year amounted to BGN 11 million and expanse-about BGN 13 million. About BGN 1 mollion have been paid for insurances of football players.
• The construction of the Shipka tunnel may commence in 2014, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev said at the National Assembly Friday.
torsdag den 24. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 24, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 24 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
All Thursday papers lead on the news of the eight million leva in taxes, which football clubs failed to pay. "Tax Penalty for Football", caps "Troud", reporting that First Division football players paid taxes and social contributions over salaries of 220 leva, while they actually received between 5,000 and 18,000 leva. Audits have found that eight football clubs owe 7.8 million leva in taxes and interest. "Troud" reports that at 2,145,843 leva, CSKA has run the largest debt, followed by Botev Plovdiv with 1,475,000 leva and Lokomotiv Plovdiv with 1,189,669 leva.
"Troud" quotes Yane Yanev, chair of the parliamentary committee on fight against corruption, as saying that many football teams operate with hidden funds and are used as front by their presidents for money laundering.
***
"Troud" runs a report on the war Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is waging on the Amnesty Act. The cabinet decided to ask the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional provisions in the Amnesty Act, under which persons who committed negligent mismanagement before July 1, 2008, cannot be brought to justice if the offence carries up to five years' imprisonment.
Borissov recalled that this loophole has allowed the board of the Sofia heating utility, several mayors of district cities and ministers to get away with crimes that they had committed.
Borissov pointed out the inherent weakness in the law which exonerates senior officials of the Stanishev cabinet and punishes their successors.
***
"24 Chassa" reports that the former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, his sister and Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Ahmed Dogan will be interviewed by the parliamentary Anti-Corruption and Conflict of Interests Committee. Eleonora Nikolova, legal aide of Committee Chair Yane Yanev, said that the committee had followed up on 130 alerts on corruption and conflict of interest in four weeks. According to Yanev, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his sister were compensated at the expense of other heirs of Tsar Ferdinand. The committee will hold a hearing to see if they arranged for incorrect details to be filed. MRF leader Ahmed Dogan will also be interviewed about his assets.
***
Two Airbus aircraft, ordered by the previous government, have caused a rift in the government, "Troud" reports. The ministers are debating whether to return both aircraft or to purchase one. If the two machines are returned, Bulgaria stands to lose 15 million leva in installments and probably as much in penalties for failure to fulfill the contract. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that if the cabinet decides to keep one, the government will pay the cost of 44 million dollars. "Troud" cites controversial data about the purchase of the two planes. The winning company BHAir did not own any aircraft, as was one of the requirements for the bidders.
***
In an interview for "Troud", Lazar Grouev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Cassation, says that the all Bulgarian governments keep reinventing the wheel. He advises the new cabinet to decide whether it will continue with the penal policy of its predecessors or whether it will change it. Grouev says that everyone is ready to leave the problem to the prosecution authorities.
***
The dailies report that the former leadership of the Defence Ministry had purchased apartments at costs which were roughly 30 per cent higher than their market value. In the spring of 2009, the team of former defence minister Nikolai Tsonev signed a contract for the purchase of 309 apartments for roughly 25 million leva. However, the money will be paid in instalments into 2010 as well.
***
"Douma" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that he calls for severe punishment for assault of a police officer. According to Borissov, such offence should carry a prison sentence instead of a fine.
***
FOREIGN POLICY
Among Thursday's highlights is the election of Irina Bokova as UNESCO Director General. "I dedicate my victory to all Bulgarians," says Bokova in an interview for "Troud". Bokova adds that as UNESCO Director General, she will set as her priorities the improved dialogue between civilizations, tolerance, respect for diversity and humanism. She will also focus on climate change and the promotion of UNESCO efforts as world leader in education policies. "Troud" runs a comprehensive article on Bokova, headlined "Bulgarian Lady Scales World Summit".
"24 Chassa" quotes Bokova as saying that she has managed to beat the mistrust inherent in all Bulgarians in their own abilities. Bokova also said that she toured 47 countries to rally support for her nomination, she believed in herself and she succeeded.
"Dnevnik" writes that according to many observers Bokova surprisingly beat Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosny to the post of UNESCO Director General in the final round of voting. According to "Telegraph", France is the country which has decided the vote. Interviewed by "Standart News", Bokova vows to prove that the vote is not a blow at the Arab world.
***
"Klassa" frontpages a report that a group of MPs motioned the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee to appoint three independent scientists to analyze the swap of the Bulgarian foreign debt made by the government of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and then finance minister Milen Velchev.Bulgaria is suspected to have lost between 380 million and 700 million euro.
ECONOMY
"Troud" reports that the minimum contributory income for self-employed persons will be raised to 420 leva, as one of the measures in the government economic recovery plan. The minimum contributory threshold now is set at 260 leva. The thresholds for bakers and doctors will see the highest rise in 2010, as is evident from the latest agreements between businesses and trade unions.
***
"Dnevnik" writes that in order to improve the conditions for business, the government proposes a reduction of social insurance contributions by 2 per cent in 2010 and by 1 per cent over each of the next three years to a total of 5 per cent during the government's term.
***
"Sega" runs a comment on the revolutionary approach of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov to appoint senior revenue officers through contests, noting that it should apply for lower positions in the system as well.
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 24, 2009
• A Bulgarian court has ruled that property and bank accounts, owned by energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki, worth the record-high BGN 143, 4 million, be garnished. Sofia city court ruling came at the demand of the state body, dealing with illegally acquired property. Should Kovachki be found guilty, the property in question will be confiscated. The news comes ten days after Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, said he has received a huge amount of tax evasion evidence against Hristo Kovachki.
• Pension funds have lost around BGN 600 – 650 million only in 2008 due to the collapse of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), while insurers have lost BGN 350 – 400 million, said Ivan Kostov, co-chairperson of the Blue Coalition. The Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) deputy chairperson Ralitsa Agayn, who is in charge of the insurance market, responds that the insurance companies have not suffered huge loss last year. According to Agayn, it is not true that insurance companies have lost BGN 400 million, as stated by Coalition for Bulgaria party co-chairperson Ivan Kostov.
• According to an inquiry about the Transatlantic trends of the people worldwide 72 % of the Bulgarian citizens show their sympathy for US President Obama. The support for him in Poland and Rumania is about 52 %. Currently Obama’s charismatic person has even better reputation among the Bulgarians then the USA itself.
Sofia, September 24 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
All Thursday papers lead on the news of the eight million leva in taxes, which football clubs failed to pay. "Tax Penalty for Football", caps "Troud", reporting that First Division football players paid taxes and social contributions over salaries of 220 leva, while they actually received between 5,000 and 18,000 leva. Audits have found that eight football clubs owe 7.8 million leva in taxes and interest. "Troud" reports that at 2,145,843 leva, CSKA has run the largest debt, followed by Botev Plovdiv with 1,475,000 leva and Lokomotiv Plovdiv with 1,189,669 leva.
"Troud" quotes Yane Yanev, chair of the parliamentary committee on fight against corruption, as saying that many football teams operate with hidden funds and are used as front by their presidents for money laundering.
***
"Troud" runs a report on the war Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is waging on the Amnesty Act. The cabinet decided to ask the Constitutional Court to declare unconstitutional provisions in the Amnesty Act, under which persons who committed negligent mismanagement before July 1, 2008, cannot be brought to justice if the offence carries up to five years' imprisonment.
Borissov recalled that this loophole has allowed the board of the Sofia heating utility, several mayors of district cities and ministers to get away with crimes that they had committed.
Borissov pointed out the inherent weakness in the law which exonerates senior officials of the Stanishev cabinet and punishes their successors.
***
"24 Chassa" reports that the former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, his sister and Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Ahmed Dogan will be interviewed by the parliamentary Anti-Corruption and Conflict of Interests Committee. Eleonora Nikolova, legal aide of Committee Chair Yane Yanev, said that the committee had followed up on 130 alerts on corruption and conflict of interest in four weeks. According to Yanev, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his sister were compensated at the expense of other heirs of Tsar Ferdinand. The committee will hold a hearing to see if they arranged for incorrect details to be filed. MRF leader Ahmed Dogan will also be interviewed about his assets.
***
Two Airbus aircraft, ordered by the previous government, have caused a rift in the government, "Troud" reports. The ministers are debating whether to return both aircraft or to purchase one. If the two machines are returned, Bulgaria stands to lose 15 million leva in installments and probably as much in penalties for failure to fulfill the contract. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said that if the cabinet decides to keep one, the government will pay the cost of 44 million dollars. "Troud" cites controversial data about the purchase of the two planes. The winning company BHAir did not own any aircraft, as was one of the requirements for the bidders.
***
In an interview for "Troud", Lazar Grouev, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Cassation, says that the all Bulgarian governments keep reinventing the wheel. He advises the new cabinet to decide whether it will continue with the penal policy of its predecessors or whether it will change it. Grouev says that everyone is ready to leave the problem to the prosecution authorities.
***
The dailies report that the former leadership of the Defence Ministry had purchased apartments at costs which were roughly 30 per cent higher than their market value. In the spring of 2009, the team of former defence minister Nikolai Tsonev signed a contract for the purchase of 309 apartments for roughly 25 million leva. However, the money will be paid in instalments into 2010 as well.
***
"Douma" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that he calls for severe punishment for assault of a police officer. According to Borissov, such offence should carry a prison sentence instead of a fine.
***
FOREIGN POLICY
Among Thursday's highlights is the election of Irina Bokova as UNESCO Director General. "I dedicate my victory to all Bulgarians," says Bokova in an interview for "Troud". Bokova adds that as UNESCO Director General, she will set as her priorities the improved dialogue between civilizations, tolerance, respect for diversity and humanism. She will also focus on climate change and the promotion of UNESCO efforts as world leader in education policies. "Troud" runs a comprehensive article on Bokova, headlined "Bulgarian Lady Scales World Summit".
"24 Chassa" quotes Bokova as saying that she has managed to beat the mistrust inherent in all Bulgarians in their own abilities. Bokova also said that she toured 47 countries to rally support for her nomination, she believed in herself and she succeeded.
"Dnevnik" writes that according to many observers Bokova surprisingly beat Egypt's Culture Minister Farouk Hosny to the post of UNESCO Director General in the final round of voting. According to "Telegraph", France is the country which has decided the vote. Interviewed by "Standart News", Bokova vows to prove that the vote is not a blow at the Arab world.
***
"Klassa" frontpages a report that a group of MPs motioned the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee to appoint three independent scientists to analyze the swap of the Bulgarian foreign debt made by the government of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and then finance minister Milen Velchev.Bulgaria is suspected to have lost between 380 million and 700 million euro.
ECONOMY
"Troud" reports that the minimum contributory income for self-employed persons will be raised to 420 leva, as one of the measures in the government economic recovery plan. The minimum contributory threshold now is set at 260 leva. The thresholds for bakers and doctors will see the highest rise in 2010, as is evident from the latest agreements between businesses and trade unions.
***
"Dnevnik" writes that in order to improve the conditions for business, the government proposes a reduction of social insurance contributions by 2 per cent in 2010 and by 1 per cent over each of the next three years to a total of 5 per cent during the government's term.
***
"Sega" runs a comment on the revolutionary approach of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov to appoint senior revenue officers through contests, noting that it should apply for lower positions in the system as well.
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 24, 2009
• A Bulgarian court has ruled that property and bank accounts, owned by energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki, worth the record-high BGN 143, 4 million, be garnished. Sofia city court ruling came at the demand of the state body, dealing with illegally acquired property. Should Kovachki be found guilty, the property in question will be confiscated. The news comes ten days after Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, said he has received a huge amount of tax evasion evidence against Hristo Kovachki.
• Pension funds have lost around BGN 600 – 650 million only in 2008 due to the collapse of the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), while insurers have lost BGN 350 – 400 million, said Ivan Kostov, co-chairperson of the Blue Coalition. The Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) deputy chairperson Ralitsa Agayn, who is in charge of the insurance market, responds that the insurance companies have not suffered huge loss last year. According to Agayn, it is not true that insurance companies have lost BGN 400 million, as stated by Coalition for Bulgaria party co-chairperson Ivan Kostov.
• According to an inquiry about the Transatlantic trends of the people worldwide 72 % of the Bulgarian citizens show their sympathy for US President Obama. The support for him in Poland and Rumania is about 52 %. Currently Obama’s charismatic person has even better reputation among the Bulgarians then the USA itself.
tirsdag den 15. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 15, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 15 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
The Monday meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) which President Georgi Purvanov convoked to discuss Bulgaria's progress in the reforms in justice and home affairs, and the measures to improve the absorption of EU funding, is at the focus of the attention of the Tuesday press. "Troud" says in a headline that the President and the Prime Minister agreed on how the utilization of EU funding should proceed. The newspaper notes the sharp exchange of words - as seen by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, and the total consensus on the measures about the absorption of EU funding, counteracting corruption and organized crime - as seen by President Purvanov, which marked the first meeting of the CCNS after the new government took office. The press highlights the problems in the utilization of European funding as listed in a report to the CCNS by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov: little or almost none absorption of funding, poor administrative capacity, absence of an information system.
The dailies also list the priority tasks of the Justice Ministry, such as legal amendments to ban cash payments of transactions involving corporeal immovables, enhancing the fight against illegally acquired riches and reforming the penal procedure. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov presented an action plan about the effective utilization of EU funding under the Schengen Facility.
The dailies quote the statement of the President at the end of the meeting who said that "the forum is an expression of a clear political will of all institutions and all parties represented in Parliament to implement the recommendations in the latest report on Bulgaria's progress by the European Commission". Boyko Borissov called the opinion adopted by the Consultative Council "a very good document". It gives all Bulgarians a chance to see that the party leaders, the President, the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly can put the national interest before partisan and personal interests, he said, quoted in the Tuesday dailies.
* * *
The other leading topic in the September 15 newspapers is the start of the new school year. Minister of Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova confirms in a "Troud" interview that there is not a requirement laid down by the ministry "to measure the length of skirts of schoolgirls". Her statement is prompted by outcries against a recent regulation requiring school principals to issue rules for the proper apparel of students coming to school. Fandakova also dwells on the work of the Ministry saying that a main priority in it consists of a national programme for teacher qualifications.
* * *
"Sega" interviews Prosecutor General Boris Velchev who says that it is ridiculous for the state to create the freedom and conditions for the perpetration of corruption crimes and then take to task the prosecuting magistracy for failing to halt them. Velchev stressed the importance of uncovering corruption crimes but notes that this is the job of the prosecuting magistracy only in part. The Bulgarian law admits provocations to the perpetration of crimes. One such example is the so-called controlled drug deal. However, such an approach is banned with regard to corruption, he says. Velchev suggests making the provocation to bribery a special surveillance means performed after court control.
* * *
"You'd Better be Able to Find Ministers to Take to Court" warns former regional development minister Asen Gagouzov in an interview to "24 Chassa". He says that in a state where the law rules the categorical statements coming from the powers that be about pending convictions of ministers, rather than ministers' being pressed charges and taken to court, do not sound good. The extreme suspicion and revengefulness will benefit no one, Gagaouzov says. He describes as undignified hints and implications against him on the part of the new cabinet.
* * *
Social analyst Anatolii Gulubov projects in "Monitor" that the November 15 mayoral by-elections in Sofia will strengthen the trust in GERB. He notes that the political stakes at the local elections in Sofia have always had national significance. However, this time the elections will determine the direction in which the relations in the parliamentary majority supporting GERB will develop. Gulubov argues that the by-election could distance the political parties supporting the incumbents without this endangering the stability of the parliamentary majority. More tangible changes are possible in the relations between the local structures and national leaderships of the Blue Coalition and of the Bulgarian Socialist Party beyond which a new political picture will start to emerge which will acquire reality in the next two years, Gulubov says.
ECONOMY
"Economic Report Commissioned by President Sparks Row among Economists" caps a report in "Pari" which dwells on the fourth economic report prepared for President Georgi Purvanov and entitled, "The Global Financial and Economic Crisis and Bulgaria". The report, commissioned to a team of scientists and experts from the academic community, is to be presented on September 18 within the Bulgarian Debates forum at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. "Pari" writes that even before the official launching of the document, economists voiced a stand against the idea to scrap the flat income tax and return the progressive income tax. The experts took a more favourable stand for reducing the Value Added Tax. Nevertheless, many of the analysts are of the opinion that at a time of crisis direct taxes should be reduced and indirect taxes increased, instead of the other way round as proposes by the report. "Pari" quotes Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as saying that the idea to scrap the flat personal income tax is "imbecile, it is not just ill-considered or incompetent". The report authors propose a zero tax rate on monthly incomes up to 1,000 leva, 10 per cent tax on the income bracket between 1,000 leva and 3,000 leva, and 20 per cent on incomes above 3,000 leva. The current tax rate is 10 per cent on all incomes. Djankov said that it is impossible to make the tax threshold 1,000 leva. The Finance Minister also said that cutting VAT will have adverse effects. He once again explained that changing the tax policy at a time of crisis will be contrary to all logic. The proposals for anti-crisis reforms in the report were rejected even by members of the team who authored it, "Pari" notes.
In an interview to "Standart News" Djankov once again repeats that during crisis it is dangerous to tinker with taxes. At a time of crisis tax legislation is delayed for some time because otherwise big asymmetrical effects will emerge. He argues that sharp tax changes only increase the grey economy. The Finance Minister once again says that all tax ideas in the report commissioned by the President are ill-advised, imbecile and should not a will not be effected.
"Standart News" run the arguments in favour of scrapping the flat tax of one of the authors of the report, Senior Research Associate Gancho Ganchev. He argues that as a result of the flat tax, the actual tax burden was shifted towards people with lower incomes. Secondly, all leading countries with developed market economy not only retained the progressive taxation at a time of crisis, but strengthened it, he says. The serious reduction of production in Bulgaria, which reached 30 per cent, affects especially strongly the people with low incomes and makes them insolvent. They cannot increase their consumption and thus revive the economy, Ganchev says.
* * *
"Dnevnik" interviews Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov who says that a draft energy strategy until 2020 is in the making. Traikov says also that how much electricity Bulgaria is able to produce is not that important as the price at which it sells and the market for it. The strategy will include energy efficiency measures, opportunities for the construction of new generating facilities, and increasing power generation from renewable sources, he says.
* * *
"Economic Strategists Gripped by Populism Strain" caps a comment in "Troud" by former finance minister in the Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha cabinet Milen Velchev. According to him, calls for "a new strategy" are heard always when the water becomes murky and it is not clear who and how will carry out the economic policy in the next couple of years. Velchev notes on the yet missing programme of governance of GERB. He too takes a stand against scrapping the flat tax. Velchev says that not a single country which has introduced the flat tax rate has given up on it.
* * *
The dailies report in detail on the restructuring plan for the National Revenue Agency (NRA) presented Monday by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. Most of the reports highlight that 263 tax chiefs will be laid off as of January 1, 2010 and that 29 of NRA's territorial directorates will be closed and replaced by five regional directorates. The new directorates will be located in Veliko Turnovo, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv and Sofia. A special directorate will be set up to work with major tax-payers countrywide.
* * *
"24 Chassa" writes that judging by the cabinet programme for road construction, in the spring of 2013, months before the next regular general elections will be due, ribbon-cutting ceremonies will be held for almost all motorway sections which are at the moment unfinished. The road construction programme was presented Monday by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the ministers of transport and of regional development, Aleksandar Tsvetkov and Rosen Plevneliev, and Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport. The first to be finished will be the section of the Trakia motorway between Stara Zagora and Nova Zagora in Southern Bulgaria, now a big bottleneck of traffic between Sofia and Bourgas. "24 Chassa" reminds that Bulgaria is one of the two countries in Europe without a single finished motorway.
* * *
Former economy minister in the Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha cabinet Lydia Shouleva says in an analysis contributed to "24 Chassa" that she is in favour of lifting the ceiling of new pensions, while that of current ones be increased by the end of the year, as discussed by the experts of the financial and social ministries. Shouleva says that such a step will increase people's motivation to pay social insurance contributions on the maximum contributory income.
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 15, 2009
• The Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, has received a huge amount of tax evasion evidence against Bulgaria energy tycoon, Hristo Kovachki. He therefore signed Tuesday the indictment of the City prosecutor to officially charge Kovachki with tax crimes amounting to BGN 16 millions.
• Currently the only nomination for Sofia mayor is mine: Georgi Kadiev. It is theoretically possible to appear another BSP candidate for mayor of Sofia. Sergey Stanishev can also run. In that moment I am the only candidate, Georgi Kadiev from Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said for bTV
• Bulgaria marks first day of new school year. 59 596 first graders have entered classrooms on their official first day. The school year opened in 2667 schools. "We have every assurance that the organization has been made to ensure the proper functioning of the educational process," Education Minister Yordanka Fandakova stated.
• Three of Macedonians that took part in rescuing Bulgarian tourists during the incident in Ohrid Lake will receive Bulgarian citizenship. This is what Minister for Bulgarians in Abroad Bozhidar Dimitrov said.
Sofia, September 15 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
The Monday meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) which President Georgi Purvanov convoked to discuss Bulgaria's progress in the reforms in justice and home affairs, and the measures to improve the absorption of EU funding, is at the focus of the attention of the Tuesday press. "Troud" says in a headline that the President and the Prime Minister agreed on how the utilization of EU funding should proceed. The newspaper notes the sharp exchange of words - as seen by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, and the total consensus on the measures about the absorption of EU funding, counteracting corruption and organized crime - as seen by President Purvanov, which marked the first meeting of the CCNS after the new government took office. The press highlights the problems in the utilization of European funding as listed in a report to the CCNS by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov: little or almost none absorption of funding, poor administrative capacity, absence of an information system.
The dailies also list the priority tasks of the Justice Ministry, such as legal amendments to ban cash payments of transactions involving corporeal immovables, enhancing the fight against illegally acquired riches and reforming the penal procedure. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov presented an action plan about the effective utilization of EU funding under the Schengen Facility.
The dailies quote the statement of the President at the end of the meeting who said that "the forum is an expression of a clear political will of all institutions and all parties represented in Parliament to implement the recommendations in the latest report on Bulgaria's progress by the European Commission". Boyko Borissov called the opinion adopted by the Consultative Council "a very good document". It gives all Bulgarians a chance to see that the party leaders, the President, the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly can put the national interest before partisan and personal interests, he said, quoted in the Tuesday dailies.
* * *
The other leading topic in the September 15 newspapers is the start of the new school year. Minister of Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova confirms in a "Troud" interview that there is not a requirement laid down by the ministry "to measure the length of skirts of schoolgirls". Her statement is prompted by outcries against a recent regulation requiring school principals to issue rules for the proper apparel of students coming to school. Fandakova also dwells on the work of the Ministry saying that a main priority in it consists of a national programme for teacher qualifications.
* * *
"Sega" interviews Prosecutor General Boris Velchev who says that it is ridiculous for the state to create the freedom and conditions for the perpetration of corruption crimes and then take to task the prosecuting magistracy for failing to halt them. Velchev stressed the importance of uncovering corruption crimes but notes that this is the job of the prosecuting magistracy only in part. The Bulgarian law admits provocations to the perpetration of crimes. One such example is the so-called controlled drug deal. However, such an approach is banned with regard to corruption, he says. Velchev suggests making the provocation to bribery a special surveillance means performed after court control.
* * *
"You'd Better be Able to Find Ministers to Take to Court" warns former regional development minister Asen Gagouzov in an interview to "24 Chassa". He says that in a state where the law rules the categorical statements coming from the powers that be about pending convictions of ministers, rather than ministers' being pressed charges and taken to court, do not sound good. The extreme suspicion and revengefulness will benefit no one, Gagaouzov says. He describes as undignified hints and implications against him on the part of the new cabinet.
* * *
Social analyst Anatolii Gulubov projects in "Monitor" that the November 15 mayoral by-elections in Sofia will strengthen the trust in GERB. He notes that the political stakes at the local elections in Sofia have always had national significance. However, this time the elections will determine the direction in which the relations in the parliamentary majority supporting GERB will develop. Gulubov argues that the by-election could distance the political parties supporting the incumbents without this endangering the stability of the parliamentary majority. More tangible changes are possible in the relations between the local structures and national leaderships of the Blue Coalition and of the Bulgarian Socialist Party beyond which a new political picture will start to emerge which will acquire reality in the next two years, Gulubov says.
ECONOMY
"Economic Report Commissioned by President Sparks Row among Economists" caps a report in "Pari" which dwells on the fourth economic report prepared for President Georgi Purvanov and entitled, "The Global Financial and Economic Crisis and Bulgaria". The report, commissioned to a team of scientists and experts from the academic community, is to be presented on September 18 within the Bulgarian Debates forum at the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. "Pari" writes that even before the official launching of the document, economists voiced a stand against the idea to scrap the flat income tax and return the progressive income tax. The experts took a more favourable stand for reducing the Value Added Tax. Nevertheless, many of the analysts are of the opinion that at a time of crisis direct taxes should be reduced and indirect taxes increased, instead of the other way round as proposes by the report. "Pari" quotes Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as saying that the idea to scrap the flat personal income tax is "imbecile, it is not just ill-considered or incompetent". The report authors propose a zero tax rate on monthly incomes up to 1,000 leva, 10 per cent tax on the income bracket between 1,000 leva and 3,000 leva, and 20 per cent on incomes above 3,000 leva. The current tax rate is 10 per cent on all incomes. Djankov said that it is impossible to make the tax threshold 1,000 leva. The Finance Minister also said that cutting VAT will have adverse effects. He once again explained that changing the tax policy at a time of crisis will be contrary to all logic. The proposals for anti-crisis reforms in the report were rejected even by members of the team who authored it, "Pari" notes.
In an interview to "Standart News" Djankov once again repeats that during crisis it is dangerous to tinker with taxes. At a time of crisis tax legislation is delayed for some time because otherwise big asymmetrical effects will emerge. He argues that sharp tax changes only increase the grey economy. The Finance Minister once again says that all tax ideas in the report commissioned by the President are ill-advised, imbecile and should not a will not be effected.
"Standart News" run the arguments in favour of scrapping the flat tax of one of the authors of the report, Senior Research Associate Gancho Ganchev. He argues that as a result of the flat tax, the actual tax burden was shifted towards people with lower incomes. Secondly, all leading countries with developed market economy not only retained the progressive taxation at a time of crisis, but strengthened it, he says. The serious reduction of production in Bulgaria, which reached 30 per cent, affects especially strongly the people with low incomes and makes them insolvent. They cannot increase their consumption and thus revive the economy, Ganchev says.
* * *
"Dnevnik" interviews Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov who says that a draft energy strategy until 2020 is in the making. Traikov says also that how much electricity Bulgaria is able to produce is not that important as the price at which it sells and the market for it. The strategy will include energy efficiency measures, opportunities for the construction of new generating facilities, and increasing power generation from renewable sources, he says.
* * *
"Economic Strategists Gripped by Populism Strain" caps a comment in "Troud" by former finance minister in the Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha cabinet Milen Velchev. According to him, calls for "a new strategy" are heard always when the water becomes murky and it is not clear who and how will carry out the economic policy in the next couple of years. Velchev notes on the yet missing programme of governance of GERB. He too takes a stand against scrapping the flat tax. Velchev says that not a single country which has introduced the flat tax rate has given up on it.
* * *
The dailies report in detail on the restructuring plan for the National Revenue Agency (NRA) presented Monday by Finance Minister Simeon Djankov. Most of the reports highlight that 263 tax chiefs will be laid off as of January 1, 2010 and that 29 of NRA's territorial directorates will be closed and replaced by five regional directorates. The new directorates will be located in Veliko Turnovo, Varna, Bourgas, Plovdiv and Sofia. A special directorate will be set up to work with major tax-payers countrywide.
* * *
"24 Chassa" writes that judging by the cabinet programme for road construction, in the spring of 2013, months before the next regular general elections will be due, ribbon-cutting ceremonies will be held for almost all motorway sections which are at the moment unfinished. The road construction programme was presented Monday by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the ministers of transport and of regional development, Aleksandar Tsvetkov and Rosen Plevneliev, and Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport. The first to be finished will be the section of the Trakia motorway between Stara Zagora and Nova Zagora in Southern Bulgaria, now a big bottleneck of traffic between Sofia and Bourgas. "24 Chassa" reminds that Bulgaria is one of the two countries in Europe without a single finished motorway.
* * *
Former economy minister in the Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha cabinet Lydia Shouleva says in an analysis contributed to "24 Chassa" that she is in favour of lifting the ceiling of new pensions, while that of current ones be increased by the end of the year, as discussed by the experts of the financial and social ministries. Shouleva says that such a step will increase people's motivation to pay social insurance contributions on the maximum contributory income.
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 15, 2009
• The Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, has received a huge amount of tax evasion evidence against Bulgaria energy tycoon, Hristo Kovachki. He therefore signed Tuesday the indictment of the City prosecutor to officially charge Kovachki with tax crimes amounting to BGN 16 millions.
• Currently the only nomination for Sofia mayor is mine: Georgi Kadiev. It is theoretically possible to appear another BSP candidate for mayor of Sofia. Sergey Stanishev can also run. In that moment I am the only candidate, Georgi Kadiev from Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said for bTV
• Bulgaria marks first day of new school year. 59 596 first graders have entered classrooms on their official first day. The school year opened in 2667 schools. "We have every assurance that the organization has been made to ensure the proper functioning of the educational process," Education Minister Yordanka Fandakova stated.
• Three of Macedonians that took part in rescuing Bulgarian tourists during the incident in Ohrid Lake will receive Bulgarian citizenship. This is what Minister for Bulgarians in Abroad Bozhidar Dimitrov said.
mandag den 14. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 14, 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.
***
"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.
***
"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.
***
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.
***
"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.
***
The price of textbooks for eighth-grade school children has doubled compared to last year, "Telegraf" writes.
***
"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.
***
Through the "Troud" paper actor Kosta Tsonev thanks Dr. Alexander Chirkov for a recently performed cardiovascular operation. Tsonev recently marked his 80th anniversary.
***
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.
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.
***
"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.
***
"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.
***
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.
***
"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.
***
The price of textbooks for eighth-grade school children has doubled compared to last year, "Telegraf" writes.
***
"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.
***
Through the "Troud" paper actor Kosta Tsonev thanks Dr. Alexander Chirkov for a recently performed cardiovascular operation. Tsonev recently marked his 80th anniversary.
***
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.
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.
***
"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.
***
"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.
***
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.
***
"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.
***
The price of textbooks for eighth-grade school children has doubled compared to last year, "Telegraf" writes.
***
"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.
***
Through the "Troud" paper actor Kosta Tsonev thanks Dr. Alexander Chirkov for a recently performed cardiovascular operation. Tsonev recently marked his 80th anniversary.
***
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.
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.
***
"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.
***
"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.
***
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.
***
"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.
***
The price of textbooks for eighth-grade school children has doubled compared to last year, "Telegraf" writes.
***
"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.
***
Through the "Troud" paper actor Kosta Tsonev thanks Dr. Alexander Chirkov for a recently performed cardiovascular operation. Tsonev recently marked his 80th anniversary.
***
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.
fredag den 11. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 11, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 11 (BTA)
BULGARIA - EU
The Friday papers give prominence to the main developments during the Brussels visit of a Bulgarian government delegation headed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
"Troud" reports that Bulgaria will get an extra 300 million euro in compensations for the early shutdown of reactors of the Kozloduy N-plant, if a proposal by European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso gets the European Parliament's approval ("EU Unties Purse for Bulgarian Energy"). That emerged after Barroso's meeting with Prime Minister Borissov. The EC is also ready to consider Bulgaria's plans to build a second N-plant at Belene. The project could get a loan from Euroatom, Barroso said.
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek is quoted as saying after meeting the Bulgarian government leader that Bulgaria has made a positive change in fighting corruption and now Europe should help it deal with its pressing problems in the energy sector and with the release of EU funding. According to Buzek, Brussels also sees positive changes in the anti-corruption efforts.
Borissov is quoted to thank the EP and the European institutions for supporting Bulgarian people by resuming suspended funding, and to say that every single euro Bulgaria gets from the EU will be well-protected against misuse.
THE HOME SCENE
"Troud" carries an interview with Sofia special prosecutor Bozhidar Djambazov ("12 Cases Start against Previous Power-Holders"). He says that some 20 alerts were received in August for offences in the high corridors of power. Those came from the Ministries of Labour, of Defence, of the Interior and of Regional Development. They were in addition to tipoffs for misuse of power that the Sofia City Prosecution Office gets on a daily basis. "But the intensity of submission of alerts last month was unusual," says the interviewee. He believes that that was due to the normal wish of the new government to make a clean start.
***
In a "Troud" interview, former National Security Service chief Gen. Atanas Atanassov says that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) holds no report on corrupt ministers in the previous government but only a memo on select people in the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). He also says that the Agency's main job has been producing public scandals. "[Former Prime Minister Sergei] Stanishev established SANS not to deal with corruption in his government but to cover it up," he says.
Gen. Atanassov also says that an alert about Valeri Tsvetanov, the Agriculture Minister in the previous government who was the first former minister to be charged (for deterimental land swaps), was sent to the prosecuting magistracy before the July 5 elections. According to Gen. Atanassov, the strategy of Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Ahmed Dogan was to put ethnic Bulgarians on key offices in power, to act as canon fodder, if necessary.
That is a reference to the fact that Tsvetanov was nominated for the position of Agriculture Minister by MRF which is largely seen to be representing ethnic Turks in Bulgaria and which was one of three partner parties in the previous government (together with BSP and the National Movement for Surge and Stability).
***
An analysis in "Sega" says that the anti-mafia officers will be "the real blade" of the new government. Opinions have never converged about the anti-mafia unit of the Interior Ministry and through the years it has been idolized and condemned. It boasted many accomplishments but it also produced grandiose scandals that jolted the state. Former Prime Minister Stanishev did away with it to clear the way for the new SANS. His successor Borissov is doing quite the opposite: by amending the laws on the Interior Ministry and SANS, the anti-mafia service is restored to the position of the government's darling. It will acquire huge powers and will be the government's true blade in the fight against crime, replacing SANS. But before any important steps are made, the powers of the anti-mafia service and control over it need to get serious consideration, the author says.
***
"Standard News" reports the start of an operation by the law-enforcing bodies against corrupt customs and tax officers ("Operation Komar [Mosquito] against Customs Officers"). According to the story, prosecutors and special agents will be checking meticulously the accounts and assets of customs and tax people. They will be looking for possible conflict of interest and also whether their homes and cars match their declared incomes. It is one of 57 emergency measures from an action plan of Justice Minister Margarita Popova for fighting corruption. Such checks will be made on a regular basis. Also, a system for video surveillance will become operational at four key customs offices before December 15. A new agency, Medical Control, will be set up by the Health Ministry before the end of November to hunt for corrupt physicians, "Standard News" says.
***
"Troud" carries a commentary entitled "Bad Time for War of the Institutions in Bulgaria". It recalls that President Georgi Purvanov has convoked a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) to examine the measures Bulgaria is taking to reform its judiciary, fight crime and corruption, and absorb efficiently EU funding. That happened as the government approved a Justice Ministry action plan of 57 measures. The plan has been presented in Brussels and got its approval as well as a sign that now results are expected. Reporting this action plan to the CCNS now would be too late. It would have made more sense to get the plan approved informally at a working meeting by the President, Prime Minister and Justice Minister, before making it public. "If the institutions genuinely want consensus on the issues and goals of priority for the whole nation, discussing these through the news media is not the way to go," the commentary says.
***
Reporting the results of a National Public Opinion Centre Ppll, "Troud" writes that 90 per cent of Bulgarians are supportive of a review of the former government. The high expectations remain and the first measures taken by the Borissov governmenet get broad support, writes the paper.
ECONOMY
A front-page story in "Pari" announces the end of the war of interest rates. It quotes EIBank CEO Peter Andonov as saying that there is lots of money on the market and banks have nothing to do with it. First interest rates on deposits go down and the interest on credits will follow suit in the hope of attracting more borrowers, according to a poll among bank managers.
***
"Sega" reports that 14 Bulgarian companies, mostly in the energy sector, feature among the Top 500 of most dynamically developing business in Central and Eastern Europe, compiled by Deloitte. The Strongest performer among the Bulgarian businesses is the LUKOil Neftohim oil refinery, followed by the Bulgarian Energy Holding, telecoms operator Mobiltel, Overgas and BTC, to mention but a few.
***
"Troud" reports that the second-quarter GDP contracted by 4.9 per cent year-on-year ("Production Takes 4.9% Dive"). That emerges from official statistics made public Thursday.
***
In a "Pari" interview, former Economy and Energy Minister and now socialist MP Roumen Ovcharov says that halting the project for construction of the Belene N-plant would be a big mistake. "It is a big mistake to stop a project whose efficiency is proven, for whose start a serious preparation has been made, which has got the support of the EU and which involves a major Western strategic investor, RWE, only because you have not taken the trouble to look at its parameters," says Ovcharov.
He believes that the right policy for Bulgaria is "to understand its long-term energy and economic interests based on its geographic location, and to not allow one or another political force to manipulate them in the name of short-term party goals".
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 11, 2009
• Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, publicly admitted that his relations with the country's President are "bad." "My personal relations with a certain person don't matter when this person represents an institution. Our relations are bad as of today, but this does not have any significance regarding the work of the institutions," the PM stated.
• “It is highly likely for Bulgaria to have to return European financing for a total of EUR 32 million on ten road projects under the PHARE program”, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Lilyana Pavlova announced at a news conference.
• Up to the present moment, there are discussions on new legal actions for protection of the state ownership over the over-claimed property by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said during the Question Time at the parliament.
Sofia, September 11 (BTA)
BULGARIA - EU
The Friday papers give prominence to the main developments during the Brussels visit of a Bulgarian government delegation headed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
"Troud" reports that Bulgaria will get an extra 300 million euro in compensations for the early shutdown of reactors of the Kozloduy N-plant, if a proposal by European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso gets the European Parliament's approval ("EU Unties Purse for Bulgarian Energy"). That emerged after Barroso's meeting with Prime Minister Borissov. The EC is also ready to consider Bulgaria's plans to build a second N-plant at Belene. The project could get a loan from Euroatom, Barroso said.
European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek is quoted as saying after meeting the Bulgarian government leader that Bulgaria has made a positive change in fighting corruption and now Europe should help it deal with its pressing problems in the energy sector and with the release of EU funding. According to Buzek, Brussels also sees positive changes in the anti-corruption efforts.
Borissov is quoted to thank the EP and the European institutions for supporting Bulgarian people by resuming suspended funding, and to say that every single euro Bulgaria gets from the EU will be well-protected against misuse.
THE HOME SCENE
"Troud" carries an interview with Sofia special prosecutor Bozhidar Djambazov ("12 Cases Start against Previous Power-Holders"). He says that some 20 alerts were received in August for offences in the high corridors of power. Those came from the Ministries of Labour, of Defence, of the Interior and of Regional Development. They were in addition to tipoffs for misuse of power that the Sofia City Prosecution Office gets on a daily basis. "But the intensity of submission of alerts last month was unusual," says the interviewee. He believes that that was due to the normal wish of the new government to make a clean start.
***
In a "Troud" interview, former National Security Service chief Gen. Atanas Atanassov says that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) holds no report on corrupt ministers in the previous government but only a memo on select people in the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). He also says that the Agency's main job has been producing public scandals. "[Former Prime Minister Sergei] Stanishev established SANS not to deal with corruption in his government but to cover it up," he says.
Gen. Atanassov also says that an alert about Valeri Tsvetanov, the Agriculture Minister in the previous government who was the first former minister to be charged (for deterimental land swaps), was sent to the prosecuting magistracy before the July 5 elections. According to Gen. Atanassov, the strategy of Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) leader Ahmed Dogan was to put ethnic Bulgarians on key offices in power, to act as canon fodder, if necessary.
That is a reference to the fact that Tsvetanov was nominated for the position of Agriculture Minister by MRF which is largely seen to be representing ethnic Turks in Bulgaria and which was one of three partner parties in the previous government (together with BSP and the National Movement for Surge and Stability).
***
An analysis in "Sega" says that the anti-mafia officers will be "the real blade" of the new government. Opinions have never converged about the anti-mafia unit of the Interior Ministry and through the years it has been idolized and condemned. It boasted many accomplishments but it also produced grandiose scandals that jolted the state. Former Prime Minister Stanishev did away with it to clear the way for the new SANS. His successor Borissov is doing quite the opposite: by amending the laws on the Interior Ministry and SANS, the anti-mafia service is restored to the position of the government's darling. It will acquire huge powers and will be the government's true blade in the fight against crime, replacing SANS. But before any important steps are made, the powers of the anti-mafia service and control over it need to get serious consideration, the author says.
***
"Standard News" reports the start of an operation by the law-enforcing bodies against corrupt customs and tax officers ("Operation Komar [Mosquito] against Customs Officers"). According to the story, prosecutors and special agents will be checking meticulously the accounts and assets of customs and tax people. They will be looking for possible conflict of interest and also whether their homes and cars match their declared incomes. It is one of 57 emergency measures from an action plan of Justice Minister Margarita Popova for fighting corruption. Such checks will be made on a regular basis. Also, a system for video surveillance will become operational at four key customs offices before December 15. A new agency, Medical Control, will be set up by the Health Ministry before the end of November to hunt for corrupt physicians, "Standard News" says.
***
"Troud" carries a commentary entitled "Bad Time for War of the Institutions in Bulgaria". It recalls that President Georgi Purvanov has convoked a meeting of the Consultative Council on National Security (CCNS) to examine the measures Bulgaria is taking to reform its judiciary, fight crime and corruption, and absorb efficiently EU funding. That happened as the government approved a Justice Ministry action plan of 57 measures. The plan has been presented in Brussels and got its approval as well as a sign that now results are expected. Reporting this action plan to the CCNS now would be too late. It would have made more sense to get the plan approved informally at a working meeting by the President, Prime Minister and Justice Minister, before making it public. "If the institutions genuinely want consensus on the issues and goals of priority for the whole nation, discussing these through the news media is not the way to go," the commentary says.
***
Reporting the results of a National Public Opinion Centre Ppll, "Troud" writes that 90 per cent of Bulgarians are supportive of a review of the former government. The high expectations remain and the first measures taken by the Borissov governmenet get broad support, writes the paper.
ECONOMY
A front-page story in "Pari" announces the end of the war of interest rates. It quotes EIBank CEO Peter Andonov as saying that there is lots of money on the market and banks have nothing to do with it. First interest rates on deposits go down and the interest on credits will follow suit in the hope of attracting more borrowers, according to a poll among bank managers.
***
"Sega" reports that 14 Bulgarian companies, mostly in the energy sector, feature among the Top 500 of most dynamically developing business in Central and Eastern Europe, compiled by Deloitte. The Strongest performer among the Bulgarian businesses is the LUKOil Neftohim oil refinery, followed by the Bulgarian Energy Holding, telecoms operator Mobiltel, Overgas and BTC, to mention but a few.
***
"Troud" reports that the second-quarter GDP contracted by 4.9 per cent year-on-year ("Production Takes 4.9% Dive"). That emerges from official statistics made public Thursday.
***
In a "Pari" interview, former Economy and Energy Minister and now socialist MP Roumen Ovcharov says that halting the project for construction of the Belene N-plant would be a big mistake. "It is a big mistake to stop a project whose efficiency is proven, for whose start a serious preparation has been made, which has got the support of the EU and which involves a major Western strategic investor, RWE, only because you have not taken the trouble to look at its parameters," says Ovcharov.
He believes that the right policy for Bulgaria is "to understand its long-term energy and economic interests based on its geographic location, and to not allow one or another political force to manipulate them in the name of short-term party goals".
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 11, 2009
• Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, publicly admitted that his relations with the country's President are "bad." "My personal relations with a certain person don't matter when this person represents an institution. Our relations are bad as of today, but this does not have any significance regarding the work of the institutions," the PM stated.
• “It is highly likely for Bulgaria to have to return European financing for a total of EUR 32 million on ten road projects under the PHARE program”, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Lilyana Pavlova announced at a news conference.
• Up to the present moment, there are discussions on new legal actions for protection of the state ownership over the over-claimed property by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said during the Question Time at the parliament.
torsdag den 10. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 10, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 10 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Sega" writes that the government has declared 120 days of total mobilization against the Mafia. The cabinet believes it can regain the EU's trust by speeding up trials and by conducting massive checks on rich people with a dubious business record.
"Dnevnik" lists measures planned by the Justice Ministry, including continuous checks on owners of assets worth over 500,000 leva, tax and customs officers; inspections of shops selling excisable goods; and checks on teachers suspected of giving private lessons. The government adopted the 57-point plan for the fight against corruption and crime on Wednesday in response to criticisms in the European Commission's latest report. Tasks and deadlines are set to individuals and the expected effect is specified. The plan will be submitted to Brussels. The measures must be implemented by the year's end, and an EC mission is expected to check on progress in early December.
***
Rumiana Buchvarova, Chef de Cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, says that President Georgi Purvanov will not influence the cabinet's policy. Meeting with Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin, Borissov showed realism and leadership, Buchvarova says.
An opinion piece in "Dnevnik" reacts to Purvanov's article "Pragmatism and leadership are needed in the energy strategy and policy" published on Tuesday. The writer asks: "Can you remember when Purvanov publicly criticized the former Prime Minister [Sergei Stanishev]? This did not happen when the EU blocked funding over well-nurtured and well-guarded corruption. It did not happen when, nearing the end of its term, the Stanishev cabinet was forking out public money [Е]." The writer also notes that the article was posted on Purvanov's website the day before Borissov's first visit to Brussels, preceded by news that SAPARD funding would be unblocked. On the next day, Purvanov decided to convene the Consultative Council on National Security for a discussion of the implementation of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and of improvements in the absorption of EU funds, which he did not do when EU money was blocked. The person who vindicated the Stanishev cabinet by saying that Bulgaria became hostage to the European Parliament elections is now magnifying a problem which is being tackled more or less successfully. "This is more than arrogance. What we have here are circles isolated by our Euro-Atlantic partners that will continue causing harm," Lyuboslava Rousseva says in "Dnevnik".
The President is concerned about things that are not happening, about what is presented to the public as opinions and intentions without first-hand knowledge of the energy projects, former economy and energy minister Roumen Ovcharov says in a "Troud" interview. He voices concern that the President was the first to show competence on the matter - energy projects - in the last two months. Ovcharov says that, strangely, the state leader seems to be playing the role of a minister or a manager of a large energy company, who explains technological details of the major energy projects. Obviously no one else is up to this task, Ovcharov concludes.
An analysis in "Troud" says Bulgaria would win from the clash between Purvanov and Borissov if it turned into a competition of ideas about the future and not into a destructive war.
***
In "24 Chassa", Kalina Ilieva, Director of the Agriculture Fund, says that when she took office it emerged that 10,000 projects had been submitted but only 2,500 had been finalized. Due to improved organization, 1,415 projects have been finalized under the Young Farmer Measure alone in the last three weeks. Contracts are to be signed in a matter of days.
***
Over 3,000 people mourned the victims of the boat accident on Lake Ohrid, "Troud" writes. The 15 victims were buried on Wednesday.
FOREIGN POLICY
"24 Chassa" quotes European People's Party (EPP) President Wilfried Martens as saying that the new Bulgarian EU commissioner should be from GERB. He reportedly told Bulgarian National Radio that Meglena Kuneva is a very competent commissioner indeed, but the EC is an expert body as well as a political body. That is why Martens said he believed that Bulgaria, which now has a centre-right government, should appoint a person who belongs to the EPP political family. Borissov is expected to nominate Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva to the EC, says "24 Chassa".
"Troud" writes that Bulgaria will try to extend the deadline for absorption of problematic EU money for infrastructure and the environment and to wring out a further 300 million euro in compensation for the closure of units of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The daily quotes government members who are visiting Brussels. "24 Chassa" says that the EC would be ready to continue paying compensation for the closure of Kozloduy's units three and four but is short of money. Energy Minister Traicho Traikov met with Matthias Ruete, Director General of the EC's DG Transport and Energy, and said that Brussels would announce in a month if it had found reserves in the crisis response package.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
"Troud" devotes two pages to magistrates' suggestions about tapping the US experience in the fight against lengthy trials. All moot points should be cleared out before the trial. The prosecutor and the defence should put their cards on the table and the judge should decide if he or she will hear the case. If the court decides that there will be a trial, no one should have the right to raise already rejected objections or cite them as a reason for termination or adjournment. The magistrates also want special surveillance means to be used in uncovering money laundering.
THE ECONOMY
The credit crunch has eased and lending interest is going down, "Troud" writes, quoting consulting firm Credit Centre. It said that the average consumer credit reached 11,369 leva in August, up from 8,462 leva in the first half of the year. The largest consumer loan is 15,000 euro, while customers, mostly with medium to high incomes, usually ask for about 10,000 euro. The consultants say that it is mostly people with monthly incomes ranging between 1,500 leva and 2,000 leva that take out home loans.
***
"Klassa" writes that Bulgaria is fourth along with New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States in access to corporate loans according to the World Bank's ranking of the countries where it is easiest to do business. However, Bulgaria slid two notches from 2008, from 42nd to 44th place among 183 countries, and placed between Armenia and Botswana in the general ranking.
***
"24 Chassa" publishes a transcript from a November 2, 2006 meeting of the Stanishev cabinet headlined "Stanishev: Mr Ovcharov, please make sure the State retains its 51 per cent stake!" The same daily has interviewed tourism boss Georgi Gergov. A week ago Economy Minister Traicho Traikov ordered a check on the International Fair Plovdiv, in which the State lost its majority stake and the company became controlled by Gergov. He asks why the State, which is a shareholder, is harming the company's image.
***
Finance Minister Simeon Djankov is 99th among 1,058 leading economic and financial experts worldwide in the annual rankings of the University of Connecticut's Department of Economics. Djankov is co-author of ten articles written by first-ranked Harvard Professor Andrei Schleifer.
***
Bulgarian National Radio Director Valerii Todorov says in "24 Chassa" that the scores of a march and a waltz written by Johann Strauss respectively for Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria's coronation and wedding have been found in Vienna.
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 9, 2009
• One Bulgarian citizen has been killed in the flash floods triggered by torrential rains in northwestern Turkey. Another one has been declared missing - later on he has been found safe.
• The Director of the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, Jean-Luc Demarty announced at a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov that he has signed the payments under SAPARD program. Practically this will start the disbursement of blocked funds under the program worth millions of euros.
• A 32-year-old employee of the National Revenue Agency was caught with a bribe of BGN 20 000 in a special operation of the State National Security Agency DANS and the Prosecutor's Office.
• A three-years old child died after drinking a solution of methadone in Sofia. According to the initial data the methadone belongs to his mother who is drug addicted.
Sofia, September 10 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Sega" writes that the government has declared 120 days of total mobilization against the Mafia. The cabinet believes it can regain the EU's trust by speeding up trials and by conducting massive checks on rich people with a dubious business record.
"Dnevnik" lists measures planned by the Justice Ministry, including continuous checks on owners of assets worth over 500,000 leva, tax and customs officers; inspections of shops selling excisable goods; and checks on teachers suspected of giving private lessons. The government adopted the 57-point plan for the fight against corruption and crime on Wednesday in response to criticisms in the European Commission's latest report. Tasks and deadlines are set to individuals and the expected effect is specified. The plan will be submitted to Brussels. The measures must be implemented by the year's end, and an EC mission is expected to check on progress in early December.
***
Rumiana Buchvarova, Chef de Cabinet of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, says that President Georgi Purvanov will not influence the cabinet's policy. Meeting with Russian Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin, Borissov showed realism and leadership, Buchvarova says.
An opinion piece in "Dnevnik" reacts to Purvanov's article "Pragmatism and leadership are needed in the energy strategy and policy" published on Tuesday. The writer asks: "Can you remember when Purvanov publicly criticized the former Prime Minister [Sergei Stanishev]? This did not happen when the EU blocked funding over well-nurtured and well-guarded corruption. It did not happen when, nearing the end of its term, the Stanishev cabinet was forking out public money [Е]." The writer also notes that the article was posted on Purvanov's website the day before Borissov's first visit to Brussels, preceded by news that SAPARD funding would be unblocked. On the next day, Purvanov decided to convene the Consultative Council on National Security for a discussion of the implementation of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism and of improvements in the absorption of EU funds, which he did not do when EU money was blocked. The person who vindicated the Stanishev cabinet by saying that Bulgaria became hostage to the European Parliament elections is now magnifying a problem which is being tackled more or less successfully. "This is more than arrogance. What we have here are circles isolated by our Euro-Atlantic partners that will continue causing harm," Lyuboslava Rousseva says in "Dnevnik".
The President is concerned about things that are not happening, about what is presented to the public as opinions and intentions without first-hand knowledge of the energy projects, former economy and energy minister Roumen Ovcharov says in a "Troud" interview. He voices concern that the President was the first to show competence on the matter - energy projects - in the last two months. Ovcharov says that, strangely, the state leader seems to be playing the role of a minister or a manager of a large energy company, who explains technological details of the major energy projects. Obviously no one else is up to this task, Ovcharov concludes.
An analysis in "Troud" says Bulgaria would win from the clash between Purvanov and Borissov if it turned into a competition of ideas about the future and not into a destructive war.
***
In "24 Chassa", Kalina Ilieva, Director of the Agriculture Fund, says that when she took office it emerged that 10,000 projects had been submitted but only 2,500 had been finalized. Due to improved organization, 1,415 projects have been finalized under the Young Farmer Measure alone in the last three weeks. Contracts are to be signed in a matter of days.
***
Over 3,000 people mourned the victims of the boat accident on Lake Ohrid, "Troud" writes. The 15 victims were buried on Wednesday.
FOREIGN POLICY
"24 Chassa" quotes European People's Party (EPP) President Wilfried Martens as saying that the new Bulgarian EU commissioner should be from GERB. He reportedly told Bulgarian National Radio that Meglena Kuneva is a very competent commissioner indeed, but the EC is an expert body as well as a political body. That is why Martens said he believed that Bulgaria, which now has a centre-right government, should appoint a person who belongs to the EPP political family. Borissov is expected to nominate Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva to the EC, says "24 Chassa".
"Troud" writes that Bulgaria will try to extend the deadline for absorption of problematic EU money for infrastructure and the environment and to wring out a further 300 million euro in compensation for the closure of units of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The daily quotes government members who are visiting Brussels. "24 Chassa" says that the EC would be ready to continue paying compensation for the closure of Kozloduy's units three and four but is short of money. Energy Minister Traicho Traikov met with Matthias Ruete, Director General of the EC's DG Transport and Energy, and said that Brussels would announce in a month if it had found reserves in the crisis response package.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
"Troud" devotes two pages to magistrates' suggestions about tapping the US experience in the fight against lengthy trials. All moot points should be cleared out before the trial. The prosecutor and the defence should put their cards on the table and the judge should decide if he or she will hear the case. If the court decides that there will be a trial, no one should have the right to raise already rejected objections or cite them as a reason for termination or adjournment. The magistrates also want special surveillance means to be used in uncovering money laundering.
THE ECONOMY
The credit crunch has eased and lending interest is going down, "Troud" writes, quoting consulting firm Credit Centre. It said that the average consumer credit reached 11,369 leva in August, up from 8,462 leva in the first half of the year. The largest consumer loan is 15,000 euro, while customers, mostly with medium to high incomes, usually ask for about 10,000 euro. The consultants say that it is mostly people with monthly incomes ranging between 1,500 leva and 2,000 leva that take out home loans.
***
"Klassa" writes that Bulgaria is fourth along with New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States in access to corporate loans according to the World Bank's ranking of the countries where it is easiest to do business. However, Bulgaria slid two notches from 2008, from 42nd to 44th place among 183 countries, and placed between Armenia and Botswana in the general ranking.
***
"24 Chassa" publishes a transcript from a November 2, 2006 meeting of the Stanishev cabinet headlined "Stanishev: Mr Ovcharov, please make sure the State retains its 51 per cent stake!" The same daily has interviewed tourism boss Georgi Gergov. A week ago Economy Minister Traicho Traikov ordered a check on the International Fair Plovdiv, in which the State lost its majority stake and the company became controlled by Gergov. He asks why the State, which is a shareholder, is harming the company's image.
***
Finance Minister Simeon Djankov is 99th among 1,058 leading economic and financial experts worldwide in the annual rankings of the University of Connecticut's Department of Economics. Djankov is co-author of ten articles written by first-ranked Harvard Professor Andrei Schleifer.
***
Bulgarian National Radio Director Valerii Todorov says in "24 Chassa" that the scores of a march and a waltz written by Johann Strauss respectively for Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria's coronation and wedding have been found in Vienna.
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 9, 2009
• One Bulgarian citizen has been killed in the flash floods triggered by torrential rains in northwestern Turkey. Another one has been declared missing - later on he has been found safe.
• The Director of the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission, Jean-Luc Demarty announced at a meeting with Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov that he has signed the payments under SAPARD program. Practically this will start the disbursement of blocked funds under the program worth millions of euros.
• A 32-year-old employee of the National Revenue Agency was caught with a bribe of BGN 20 000 in a special operation of the State National Security Agency DANS and the Prosecutor's Office.
• A three-years old child died after drinking a solution of methadone in Sofia. According to the initial data the methadone belongs to his mother who is drug addicted.
onsdag den 9. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 9, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 9 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
Forty-four days after the GERB cabinet was sworn in, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and President Georgi Purvanov clashed openly after Purvanov posted an article on his website, dwelling on energy and the government's energy policy. "Troud" runs it under the headline "Borissov Was Obviously Unprepared for Meeting with Putin". Purvanov says that there needs to be continuity in the energy strategy and policy of Bulgaria. "An imbalanced, slow and ill-grounded Bulgarian policy could result in Bulgaria being bypassed by these projects," Purvanov says. The President goes on to say that the dynamics of Bulgaria energy policy should be kept and that he finds the government inconsistent positions and messages about the future of the Belene N-plant and nuclear power energy bewildering. The President concludes that there is a shortage of competence on the part of the new government with regards to Bulgaria's energy policy. In an interview for "Troud", Prime Minister Borissov hits back at Purvanov's accusations, describing them as "coming out of pure spite". Borissov, visibly upset, speaks of his disappointment at Purvanov's remarks and says that he will not meet him unless the President apologizes. Later, the government information service released Borissov's position, which says that "After so many years in politics and in power, President Georgi Purvanov has obviously understood at last that the time has come for leadership and pragmatism. Such is the assessment of the new government from the EU, with the unfreezing of funding under the SAPARD programme, and from the Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin."
***
"A Stanishev Minister Charged With 15 Land Swaps,", writes "24 Chassa". The former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov is the first minister from the Stanishev cabinet to be formally charged over 15 illegal swaps of state-owned land. During the interview at the National Investigative Service Tsvetanov said that he did not feel guilty. He has been put on subscription, the laxest of all restraint measures. The former chairman of the State Forestry Agency Stefan Yuroukov was also charged because of disadvantageous transactions resulting in considerable
damages.
***
In an in interview for "Telegraph", Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolai Kokinov reveals record-setting abuse in three ministries. In five weeks 30 alerts about financial irregularities at ministries and agencies were submitted at his office. The largest abuse took place in the ministries of defence, transport and agriculture. The Ministry of Defence is being probed over an order for catalogues of military flags. The Ministry of Health is also being checked over irregularities with the delivery of aids for the disabled and the information system on cancer patients.
***
"Troud" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying that only administrative staff and not military personnel will be laid off. Mladenov has announced a plan to cut 65 million leva in spending, but the scheme will leave pay unchanged. He explains that before any cuts take place, everyone's performance will be carefully reviewed and their abilities and loyalty to the ministry will be proven. However, the Minister warned that the leadership of the ministry will not allow its policy "to be torpedoed".
***
"Troud" runs a commentary, which praises the timely reaction of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his cabinet in the wake of the September 5 incident, when 15 Bulgarians drowned in Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. "Whether this is the dawn of more rational political times, filled with less hatred, or a one-off, Borissov should carry on the momentum to implement a better government."
ECONOMY
"24 Chassa" reports that Bulgaria abandoned investigating money laundering 18 months ago. Finance Minister Simeon Djankov told reporters that he is going to set up an agency under his ministry which will fight financial abuse. Eighteen months ago Bulgaria stopped watching money laundering and cash flows in and out of the country after the Financial Intelligence Agency became part of the State Agency for National Security and was barred access to data from commercial banks, explained Djankov. On Monday, Djankov's team announced structural changes to the Finance Ministry. The ministry's staff will be reduced by 98 people and the organization structure will be streamlined. However, the debt collection agency will not be merging with the National Revenue Agency.
***
"Troud" reports that seven state-owned companies have abused millions of leva. Economy Minister Traicho Traikov disclosed on Monday that six officers with his ministry's department managing EU funding for an operational programme for competitiveness have failed to declare the conflict of interest they were in. Traikov recalled that the offence carries a sentence of up to three years in prison upon conviction.
***
"Sega" gives prominence to a decision to close the labour market to foreign workers. Social Minister Totyu Mladenov announced on Monday that Bulgaria is restricting employment possibilities for non-EU workers to a minimum due to the economic crisis and rising unemployment. Mladenov dismissed reports that there is a shortage of skilled workers, as more and more Bulgarian emigrants are returning or planning to return, which is why the government will be amending the regulations for hiring workers from outside the EU bloc.
***
"Troud" writes that a gas CEO will be put in charge of energy prices. Angel Semerdjiev, executive director of state-owned Bulgartransgaz, will be named to the chairmanship of the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, according to Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov. The term of the present chairman, Konstantin Shoushoulov, is expiring September 10.
BULGARIA-EU
Interviewed by "Standart News", Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov says that Bulgaria stands to receive 90 million euro by the end of 2009. After his meeting with EU Commissioner for
Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel, Naydenov is certain that a 100 per cent of SAPARD funds will be unblocked. Nineteen million euro will be restored, paid for projects in 2008, and another 90 million will be unblocked, which Bulgaria can absorb by the end of 2009. According to Naydenov, there is no shortage of projects and as long as they comply with all requirements, a payment procedure can start.
***
"Troud" reports that 83,000 dairy farms have avoided closure after the European Commission granted a two-year extension of the period to complete the transition to EU hygiene standards. Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov had requested a 18-month extension in Brussels, but the EC gave Bulgaria and Romania 24 months. Only 3,000 Bulgarian farms meet the EU requirements. However, more than 83,000 dairy farms failed to secure investments and make the grade and faced closure in early 2010. Minister Naydenov said he relied on a technical assistance from the EU.
SOCIETY
In an interview for "Troud", opera prima Raina Kabaivanska says that today there is a lot more stress and that competition is fiercer. "First and foremost you have to be a master of technique, to know how to control your body and voice, which in turn will allow you to own the stage. Today's singers must know the music, be artists and also be good-looking," Kabaivanska adds.
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 9, 2009
• Prime Minister Boyko Borisov starts his first visit to Brussels, accompanied by 7 ministers.
• Bulgarian government has passed the 57 measures in the field of justice and home affairs, which were marked down after the European Commission criticisms, Minister of Justice Margarita Popova said.
• The Bulgarian government has stated that it will give BGN 10 000 to each of the families of the 15 Bulgarians who were killed in the Ilinden boat tragedy in Macedonia on Saturday.
• Pardoning of Liverpool fan Michael Shields is in the competency of the Justice Secretary of UK Jack Straw. However institutions must be respected – both the British ones and Bulgarian ones and if there had been any new evidences they must be submitted to the Bulgarian court. This is what former MEP judge Dushana Zdravkova.
Sofia, September 9 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
Forty-four days after the GERB cabinet was sworn in, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and President Georgi Purvanov clashed openly after Purvanov posted an article on his website, dwelling on energy and the government's energy policy. "Troud" runs it under the headline "Borissov Was Obviously Unprepared for Meeting with Putin". Purvanov says that there needs to be continuity in the energy strategy and policy of Bulgaria. "An imbalanced, slow and ill-grounded Bulgarian policy could result in Bulgaria being bypassed by these projects," Purvanov says. The President goes on to say that the dynamics of Bulgaria energy policy should be kept and that he finds the government inconsistent positions and messages about the future of the Belene N-plant and nuclear power energy bewildering. The President concludes that there is a shortage of competence on the part of the new government with regards to Bulgaria's energy policy. In an interview for "Troud", Prime Minister Borissov hits back at Purvanov's accusations, describing them as "coming out of pure spite". Borissov, visibly upset, speaks of his disappointment at Purvanov's remarks and says that he will not meet him unless the President apologizes. Later, the government information service released Borissov's position, which says that "After so many years in politics and in power, President Georgi Purvanov has obviously understood at last that the time has come for leadership and pragmatism. Such is the assessment of the new government from the EU, with the unfreezing of funding under the SAPARD programme, and from the Prime Minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin."
***
"A Stanishev Minister Charged With 15 Land Swaps,", writes "24 Chassa". The former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov is the first minister from the Stanishev cabinet to be formally charged over 15 illegal swaps of state-owned land. During the interview at the National Investigative Service Tsvetanov said that he did not feel guilty. He has been put on subscription, the laxest of all restraint measures. The former chairman of the State Forestry Agency Stefan Yuroukov was also charged because of disadvantageous transactions resulting in considerable
damages.
***
In an in interview for "Telegraph", Sofia City Prosecutor Nikolai Kokinov reveals record-setting abuse in three ministries. In five weeks 30 alerts about financial irregularities at ministries and agencies were submitted at his office. The largest abuse took place in the ministries of defence, transport and agriculture. The Ministry of Defence is being probed over an order for catalogues of military flags. The Ministry of Health is also being checked over irregularities with the delivery of aids for the disabled and the information system on cancer patients.
***
"Troud" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying that only administrative staff and not military personnel will be laid off. Mladenov has announced a plan to cut 65 million leva in spending, but the scheme will leave pay unchanged. He explains that before any cuts take place, everyone's performance will be carefully reviewed and their abilities and loyalty to the ministry will be proven. However, the Minister warned that the leadership of the ministry will not allow its policy "to be torpedoed".
***
"Troud" runs a commentary, which praises the timely reaction of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his cabinet in the wake of the September 5 incident, when 15 Bulgarians drowned in Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. "Whether this is the dawn of more rational political times, filled with less hatred, or a one-off, Borissov should carry on the momentum to implement a better government."
ECONOMY
"24 Chassa" reports that Bulgaria abandoned investigating money laundering 18 months ago. Finance Minister Simeon Djankov told reporters that he is going to set up an agency under his ministry which will fight financial abuse. Eighteen months ago Bulgaria stopped watching money laundering and cash flows in and out of the country after the Financial Intelligence Agency became part of the State Agency for National Security and was barred access to data from commercial banks, explained Djankov. On Monday, Djankov's team announced structural changes to the Finance Ministry. The ministry's staff will be reduced by 98 people and the organization structure will be streamlined. However, the debt collection agency will not be merging with the National Revenue Agency.
***
"Troud" reports that seven state-owned companies have abused millions of leva. Economy Minister Traicho Traikov disclosed on Monday that six officers with his ministry's department managing EU funding for an operational programme for competitiveness have failed to declare the conflict of interest they were in. Traikov recalled that the offence carries a sentence of up to three years in prison upon conviction.
***
"Sega" gives prominence to a decision to close the labour market to foreign workers. Social Minister Totyu Mladenov announced on Monday that Bulgaria is restricting employment possibilities for non-EU workers to a minimum due to the economic crisis and rising unemployment. Mladenov dismissed reports that there is a shortage of skilled workers, as more and more Bulgarian emigrants are returning or planning to return, which is why the government will be amending the regulations for hiring workers from outside the EU bloc.
***
"Troud" writes that a gas CEO will be put in charge of energy prices. Angel Semerdjiev, executive director of state-owned Bulgartransgaz, will be named to the chairmanship of the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission, according to Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov. The term of the present chairman, Konstantin Shoushoulov, is expiring September 10.
BULGARIA-EU
Interviewed by "Standart News", Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov says that Bulgaria stands to receive 90 million euro by the end of 2009. After his meeting with EU Commissioner for
Agriculture Mariann Fischer Boel, Naydenov is certain that a 100 per cent of SAPARD funds will be unblocked. Nineteen million euro will be restored, paid for projects in 2008, and another 90 million will be unblocked, which Bulgaria can absorb by the end of 2009. According to Naydenov, there is no shortage of projects and as long as they comply with all requirements, a payment procedure can start.
***
"Troud" reports that 83,000 dairy farms have avoided closure after the European Commission granted a two-year extension of the period to complete the transition to EU hygiene standards. Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov had requested a 18-month extension in Brussels, but the EC gave Bulgaria and Romania 24 months. Only 3,000 Bulgarian farms meet the EU requirements. However, more than 83,000 dairy farms failed to secure investments and make the grade and faced closure in early 2010. Minister Naydenov said he relied on a technical assistance from the EU.
SOCIETY
In an interview for "Troud", opera prima Raina Kabaivanska says that today there is a lot more stress and that competition is fiercer. "First and foremost you have to be a master of technique, to know how to control your body and voice, which in turn will allow you to own the stage. Today's singers must know the music, be artists and also be good-looking," Kabaivanska adds.
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 9, 2009
• Prime Minister Boyko Borisov starts his first visit to Brussels, accompanied by 7 ministers.
• Bulgarian government has passed the 57 measures in the field of justice and home affairs, which were marked down after the European Commission criticisms, Minister of Justice Margarita Popova said.
• The Bulgarian government has stated that it will give BGN 10 000 to each of the families of the 15 Bulgarians who were killed in the Ilinden boat tragedy in Macedonia on Saturday.
• Pardoning of Liverpool fan Michael Shields is in the competency of the Justice Secretary of UK Jack Straw. However institutions must be respected – both the British ones and Bulgarian ones and if there had been any new evidences they must be submitted to the Bulgarian court. This is what former MEP judge Dushana Zdravkova.
tirsdag den 8. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 8, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 8 (BTA)
BULGARIA-EU
"Dnevink" informs that the Justice Ministry has planned 57 steps acting on 21 European Commission recommendations regarding Justice and Home Affairs. Justice Minister Margarita Popova spoke about the measures after meeting with the EU ambassadors on Monday. The action plan contains two sections: judicial reform and counteracting organized crime and corruption. The plan will have to be implemented within three or four months.
The implementation schedule will be tabled for approval at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, so that the measures can be presented during the forthcoming first visit to Brussels of Boyko Borissov in his capacity as Prime Minister. Popova tells "Dnevnik" that it may prove that not all EU recommendations will entail legal amendments but that it must be clear that constant monitoring is in place.
Commenting the topic, "Troud" says in a leading report that three permanent special units are being set up, one each for counteracting misuse of EU funding, high-level corruption and organized crime. "Troud" also notes that changes are likely in the forfeiture of property acquired by criminal means. The daily quotes Popova as saying that the model of the old Property Act where unaccounted for incomes could be taken without a court sentence, was a good one.
"All Unaccounted for Riches Confiscated" caps a front-page report on the topic in "24 Chassa". The new thing in the latest measures is that they will not only target suspected bandits but also politicians, business people, and members of the public who cannot prove their incomes. "Klassa" says that illegally acquired property will be confiscated without a court ruling. "Telegraph" and "Monitor" writes that property of criminals will be taken without court rulings.
* * *
All of the Tuesday dailies inform of the decision due on September 10 of the European Commission on whether or not to unblock 140 million euros in frozen funding for Bulgaria under SAPARD, the pre-accession instrument for agriculture and rural development.
Quoting Agriculture and Foods Minister Miroslav Naydenov, "Zemya" writes that 19 million euros form the blocked funding under SAPARD will be released once the procedural steps are completed. Another 90 million euros as potential subsidies remain too, and Sofia has until the end of the year to apply for them, or otherwise, lose them, "Standart News" says.
* * *
"Troud" says that at the first big EU exam Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who departs to Brussels shortly, will ask the EU to give a chance to the new government of Bulgaria to prove that it can cope with corruption and with the management of EU funds. The trump card of the visit may well prove the charges that are to be pressed Wednesday against former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov, "Troud" writes. "Telegraph" says in a front-page headline that Tsvetanov is being taken to court.
* * *
Professor Steve Hanke writes in a report in "Troud" that he had warned President Peter Stoyanov (1997-2002) that corruption is Bulgaria's biggest weakness back in the time when the economist was Stoyanov's advisor. Hanke says that in June 2000 he insisted on the conduct of a strong anti-corruption campaign but unfortunately, not a single Bulgarian government launched such a campaign, which, according to the expert, is the reason why the poverty index of the Bulgarian economy has still so high values. Hanke says Bulgaria has to cover a lot of in this direction because it ranks 45th among 181 countries in the Doing Business 2009 report of the World Bank.
ECONOMY
"Dnevnik" informs of a new bill on consumer loans currently in the making which will require a fee for early repayment of such loans if their interest is fixed. The fee is expected to be between 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent depending on the term of the loan.
* * *
"Sega" writes that banks have started to reduce lending rates, although very cautiously, by between 0.25 per cent to 2 per cent. For the time being this is evident only with regard to newly approved mortgages loans, the report says.
* * *
Deputy Chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission Neno Pavlov tells "Dnevink" that reducing the personal contribution for retirement will harm the pension system.
ENERGY
"Klassa" runs an interview with Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov who says that the cabinet will reduce the state stake in the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant. Traichev says that during a recent visit to the Kozloduy n-plant energy workers raised the questions of building a new generating unit, which will be the seventh reactor, in it. The Minister thinks this is an attractive option given that the infrastructure is already there, "Douma" writes in a front-page report on the topic.
French State Secretary for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche gives an interview to "Troud" capped, "Belene Nuclear Power Plant May Become Model". The French official says that the Bulgarian cabinet should decide by itself on its strategy in the area of energy. He says that with its 62 reactors and 80 per cent of energy from nuclear sources, France has a favourable attitude towards the rapid development of nuclear energy in Europe. Lellouche says that combining Russian technology which offers reactors in the medium size (1,000 MW) with French technology for the control rooms, makes it possible to provide the best possible equipment for new nuclear power plants, as is seen everywhere today in Eastern and Central Europe.
Former economy minister Peter Dimitrov tells "Douma" that giving up on the project for the Belene n-plant will be against Bulgaria.
DEADLY ACCIDENT IN LAKE OHRID
The newspapers continue to follow the developments after the September 5 deadly accident in Lake Ohrid in Macedonia which killed 15 Bulgarians. In a front-page story "Troud" says that the victims drowned for just five minutes. The report goes on to quote Bulgarian Tourist Chamber Chairman Tsvetan Tonchev who told a news conference on Monday that some 800 tour operators are officially registered and as many are operating in the grey economy.
Interviewed by "24 Chassa" Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev says that Bulgaria will pay for the treatment in the hospital in Ohrid of the Bulgarian tourists who sustained injuries during the accident. The daily also interviews Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetanov who says that the captain of the deadly tourist boat is fully responsible for the the fact that the vessel was overloaded.
"Dnevnik" writes that "sparks flew" between President Georgi Purvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov over the management of crisis situations. Borissov indirectly accused the President for the delay of the return flight of a Bulgarian aircraft the Prime Minister had sent to Ohrid to help the survivors of the deadly accident and take them home.
SOCIETY
"Klassa" reports on a donation by Japan of specialized equipment for the conservation and restoration workshops, equipment for a photo workshop and audio-video equipment to the National Art Gallery in Sofia, worth 345,000 euros. On Monday Japanese Ambassador here Tsuneharu Takeda and Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva exchanged agreements on the donation.
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 8, 2009
• Bulgaria's budget deficit has reduced five times to BGN 105 M in August from BGN 564,3 M in July, the finance minister Simeon Djankov announced confirming earlier reports.
• Former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov has been summoned for interrogation at the National Investigation Service, deputy city prosecutor of Sofia Roman Vasilev announced. Former chairperson of the State Forestry Agency Stefan Yurukov has been summoned, too.
There is a pre-court proceeding initiated against Valeri Tsvetanov, on which the work of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office is still underway.
• Some Romany people started throwing stones at police officers in the Gorno Ezerovo residential district in coastal town of Burgas. The reason for the aggression is still not know and there is no information whether any of the police officers got hurt.
Sofia, September 8 (BTA)
BULGARIA-EU
"Dnevink" informs that the Justice Ministry has planned 57 steps acting on 21 European Commission recommendations regarding Justice and Home Affairs. Justice Minister Margarita Popova spoke about the measures after meeting with the EU ambassadors on Monday. The action plan contains two sections: judicial reform and counteracting organized crime and corruption. The plan will have to be implemented within three or four months.
The implementation schedule will be tabled for approval at the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, so that the measures can be presented during the forthcoming first visit to Brussels of Boyko Borissov in his capacity as Prime Minister. Popova tells "Dnevnik" that it may prove that not all EU recommendations will entail legal amendments but that it must be clear that constant monitoring is in place.
Commenting the topic, "Troud" says in a leading report that three permanent special units are being set up, one each for counteracting misuse of EU funding, high-level corruption and organized crime. "Troud" also notes that changes are likely in the forfeiture of property acquired by criminal means. The daily quotes Popova as saying that the model of the old Property Act where unaccounted for incomes could be taken without a court sentence, was a good one.
"All Unaccounted for Riches Confiscated" caps a front-page report on the topic in "24 Chassa". The new thing in the latest measures is that they will not only target suspected bandits but also politicians, business people, and members of the public who cannot prove their incomes. "Klassa" says that illegally acquired property will be confiscated without a court ruling. "Telegraph" and "Monitor" writes that property of criminals will be taken without court rulings.
* * *
All of the Tuesday dailies inform of the decision due on September 10 of the European Commission on whether or not to unblock 140 million euros in frozen funding for Bulgaria under SAPARD, the pre-accession instrument for agriculture and rural development.
Quoting Agriculture and Foods Minister Miroslav Naydenov, "Zemya" writes that 19 million euros form the blocked funding under SAPARD will be released once the procedural steps are completed. Another 90 million euros as potential subsidies remain too, and Sofia has until the end of the year to apply for them, or otherwise, lose them, "Standart News" says.
* * *
"Troud" says that at the first big EU exam Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who departs to Brussels shortly, will ask the EU to give a chance to the new government of Bulgaria to prove that it can cope with corruption and with the management of EU funds. The trump card of the visit may well prove the charges that are to be pressed Wednesday against former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov, "Troud" writes. "Telegraph" says in a front-page headline that Tsvetanov is being taken to court.
* * *
Professor Steve Hanke writes in a report in "Troud" that he had warned President Peter Stoyanov (1997-2002) that corruption is Bulgaria's biggest weakness back in the time when the economist was Stoyanov's advisor. Hanke says that in June 2000 he insisted on the conduct of a strong anti-corruption campaign but unfortunately, not a single Bulgarian government launched such a campaign, which, according to the expert, is the reason why the poverty index of the Bulgarian economy has still so high values. Hanke says Bulgaria has to cover a lot of in this direction because it ranks 45th among 181 countries in the Doing Business 2009 report of the World Bank.
ECONOMY
"Dnevnik" informs of a new bill on consumer loans currently in the making which will require a fee for early repayment of such loans if their interest is fixed. The fee is expected to be between 0.5 per cent to 1 per cent depending on the term of the loan.
* * *
"Sega" writes that banks have started to reduce lending rates, although very cautiously, by between 0.25 per cent to 2 per cent. For the time being this is evident only with regard to newly approved mortgages loans, the report says.
* * *
Deputy Chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission Neno Pavlov tells "Dnevink" that reducing the personal contribution for retirement will harm the pension system.
ENERGY
"Klassa" runs an interview with Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov who says that the cabinet will reduce the state stake in the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant. Traichev says that during a recent visit to the Kozloduy n-plant energy workers raised the questions of building a new generating unit, which will be the seventh reactor, in it. The Minister thinks this is an attractive option given that the infrastructure is already there, "Douma" writes in a front-page report on the topic.
French State Secretary for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche gives an interview to "Troud" capped, "Belene Nuclear Power Plant May Become Model". The French official says that the Bulgarian cabinet should decide by itself on its strategy in the area of energy. He says that with its 62 reactors and 80 per cent of energy from nuclear sources, France has a favourable attitude towards the rapid development of nuclear energy in Europe. Lellouche says that combining Russian technology which offers reactors in the medium size (1,000 MW) with French technology for the control rooms, makes it possible to provide the best possible equipment for new nuclear power plants, as is seen everywhere today in Eastern and Central Europe.
Former economy minister Peter Dimitrov tells "Douma" that giving up on the project for the Belene n-plant will be against Bulgaria.
DEADLY ACCIDENT IN LAKE OHRID
The newspapers continue to follow the developments after the September 5 deadly accident in Lake Ohrid in Macedonia which killed 15 Bulgarians. In a front-page story "Troud" says that the victims drowned for just five minutes. The report goes on to quote Bulgarian Tourist Chamber Chairman Tsvetan Tonchev who told a news conference on Monday that some 800 tour operators are officially registered and as many are operating in the grey economy.
Interviewed by "24 Chassa" Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev says that Bulgaria will pay for the treatment in the hospital in Ohrid of the Bulgarian tourists who sustained injuries during the accident. The daily also interviews Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetanov who says that the captain of the deadly tourist boat is fully responsible for the the fact that the vessel was overloaded.
"Dnevnik" writes that "sparks flew" between President Georgi Purvanov and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov over the management of crisis situations. Borissov indirectly accused the President for the delay of the return flight of a Bulgarian aircraft the Prime Minister had sent to Ohrid to help the survivors of the deadly accident and take them home.
SOCIETY
"Klassa" reports on a donation by Japan of specialized equipment for the conservation and restoration workshops, equipment for a photo workshop and audio-video equipment to the National Art Gallery in Sofia, worth 345,000 euros. On Monday Japanese Ambassador here Tsuneharu Takeda and Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva exchanged agreements on the donation.
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 8, 2009
• Bulgaria's budget deficit has reduced five times to BGN 105 M in August from BGN 564,3 M in July, the finance minister Simeon Djankov announced confirming earlier reports.
• Former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov has been summoned for interrogation at the National Investigation Service, deputy city prosecutor of Sofia Roman Vasilev announced. Former chairperson of the State Forestry Agency Stefan Yurukov has been summoned, too.
There is a pre-court proceeding initiated against Valeri Tsvetanov, on which the work of the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office is still underway.
• Some Romany people started throwing stones at police officers in the Gorno Ezerovo residential district in coastal town of Burgas. The reason for the aggression is still not know and there is no information whether any of the police officers got hurt.
mandag den 7. september 2009
Bulgarian Press Review September 7, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, September 7 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Bulgaria Mourns 15 Drowned in Lake Ohrid," "Sega" says in its highlights. September 7 is a day of national mourning for the 15 Bulgarians who perished when the Ilinden tourist boat sank in Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. For the first time the Bulgarian government reacted adequately and organized the return of the surviving Bulgarian tourists in a matter of hours. President Georgi Purvanov's surprising visit to Ohrid caused confusion; his desire to see the survivors at the airport of the Macedonian city delayed their return and stirred up their discontent.
"Sega" says further on that there were a lot of irregularities about the "ill-fated trip." The owners of Klyunchev, the carrier company, will probably be fined and may even be held criminally liable. "We should not let this case just pass," Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov is quoted as saying. President Purvanov also called to hold the trip organizers liable. In his words, if experts say so, legislative changes could be made, too.
"Troud" presents the theory of the Macedonian Interior Ministry about the accident, according to which the reason for the tragedy in Lake Ohrid was a problem with the rudder. The steel rope of the rudder broke because the boat was overloaded, "Telegraf" writes.
"Troud" reports that President Purvanov attended a memorial prayer officiated at by Metropolitan Nikolai in St Virgin Mary Church in Plovdiv. In his view, a special unit should be established to perform the functions of the former Emergency Situations Ministry. Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv saw the finger of God in the tragedy. He called on all people to come to their senses and realize how much they irritate God with their lack of reason.
"Zemya" reports that a parliamentary commission will investigate the Lake Ohrid accident. "The tragedy is of such proportions that will no doubt draw a reaction from Parliament," National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva is quoted as saying yesterday. If necessary, a special commission will be set up to investigate the accident, she said. In her words, the case will be carefully considered and if there is some imperfection in the current law, there will be a legislative initiative to remove it, she said.
* * *
"A curved line running in parallel to the blue one is not a straight line," "Sega" writes observing that the "Blue" have changed their behaviour six times in the last two months. Enthusiastic about the right-of-centre majority in parliament, the Blue coalition has became the first parliamentary group which publicly criticizes the new government. Democrats for Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov, for instance, stated that the new government is not in the clear how long the crisis would go on and is working piecemeal. His partner, Union of Democratic Forces Chairman Martin Dimitrov, said the government is late with the required anti-crisis measures. However, it would be better for the Blue Coalition to try to help the government with managerial ideas and laws. Having been left outside the executive, they appear to be trying to be both rulers and opposition, which is not a winning tactic, the daily says.
* * *
Interviewed for "24 Chassa," Supreme Administrative Court President Konstantin Penchev suggests that supreme magistrates be elected by regions. In his view, there is no system to assess magistrates before their appointment to a senior position. Now magistrates may put up their own candidature for any position and win it by winning the mandatory minimum of 13 votes but it is not clear whether and in what he or she is better than the rest. "And if such a magistrate is later caught with a bribe, nobody bears moral responsibility for it. Parliament should decide if magistrates can name themselves for a higher position," Penchev says.
* * *
All regional chiefs of the Interior Ministry directorates are being replaced at the moment, which is expected to build a new image of the Ministry, "Troud" notes. The daily sums up all changes at the directorates except for the Sofia one, the chief of which has been recently appointed. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov gave a 20-day credit of confidence to all police chiefs.
"I have been after Mityo Ochite for eight years," Milen Dimitrov, Police Director of Bourgas, says in an interview given to "Monitor." In his view, some provisions in the Penal Code are not in line with the realities. The society develops dynamically, and the laws develop slowly. It takes a strong, organized State to stand up against organized crime, Dimitrov says. He is categorical that drug boss Dimiter Zhelyazkov, or Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes) as he is known, is "an organized
criminal, which means that he is not alone." In Dimitrov's words, the fact that Zhelyazkov is in the focus of the media makes the people behind him feel quite comfortable in doing what they do. "The State must not allow criminals to choose their punishment. That is why some changes should be done in the Code of Criminal Procedure," Dimitrov says.
* * *
The Bulgarian pension system is bankrupt, Georgi Angelov from the Open Society Institute says in "Troud." In his words, the reason to call the system "bankrupt" is that retirees get low pensions and workers pay high social insurance contributions. He sees the reform of the pension system as its capitalization: young people should make larger savings towards a pension. Furthermore, as owner of enterprises, real estates, woodlands and infrastructure amounting to billions of leva, the State could finance the pension system lending it sustainable stability and finally replacing the current "bankrupt" model.
* * *
"Troud" carries an interview with Academician Nikola Subotinov, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), who says that the Academy has nearly 130 products which may be introduced right away. "We are setting up companies of our own in which our doctoral students and scientists will introduce our products, will organize productions and will make money," Subotinov says. "On the average, about 120 companies use our products here, in Bulgaria, annually. This number is not small but far from enough. We have patented products in our laboratories in which nobody shows interest. That is why we are setting up those companies. We want that the young and enterprising people use them."
ECONOMY
In a month, the cabinet has economized 450 million leva, "24 Chassa" says. In August Bulgaria's budget deficit was 105 million leva, according to Dow Jones. In July the deficit was 565 million leva. According to the agency, the deficit shrank as a result of cutting down government spending by 15 per cent, the largest cut of all other EU member states. It is pointed out that the government intends to decrease salaries paid in the public sector and to freeze pensions until the summer of 2010. The worst effects of the crisis are still to hit the economy but further spending cuts should see Bulgaria balance its budget in 2009, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov told Dow Jones.
* * *
"This country is by 300 million leva reacher after a signature," "24 Chassa" says. The daily discusses the measure taken by Boyko Borissov cabinet to stop fuel smuggling. It is recalled that as of October 1, 2009 all petrol stations in Bulgaria should be linked to the National revenue Agency and to report the amounts of fuel sold on a daily basis. This may prove to be one of the most efficient ways of curbing fuel smuggling. Oddly enough, no government did not do it until now. The excuse was that there was no money and that it was not possible technically to build such links. However, experts' estimates show that a petrol station is to invest about 2,000 - 3,000 leva in the project. There are 2,000 petrol stations in Bulgaria which have not been fiscalized. Multiplying their number by 3,000 leva makes a total of 6 million leva - money which the previous governments were reluctant to spend although the return on the investment would be 300 million leva more every year.
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 7, 2009
• Day of National Mourning for the victims of the tragic accident in Lake Ohrid, Macedonia, in which a tourist boat sank. Fifteen Bulgarian citizens drowned, 40 survived.
• Bodies of the Bulgarians who died in Ohrid Lake should be identified by their relatives first, and then they could be transported to Bulgaria, said deputy foreign minister Marin Raykov. The forensic medicine in Macedonia has not accepted identification of the bodies made by the other tourists in the group to issue death certificates.
• Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva and Japan Ambassador in Sofia Tsuneharu Takeda exchange notes on a 350,000 euro donation from the Japanese government for the National Art Gallery. The donation is provided under the Japanese Programme for Grant Aid in Culture.
Sofia, September 7 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Bulgaria Mourns 15 Drowned in Lake Ohrid," "Sega" says in its highlights. September 7 is a day of national mourning for the 15 Bulgarians who perished when the Ilinden tourist boat sank in Lake Ohrid, Macedonia. For the first time the Bulgarian government reacted adequately and organized the return of the surviving Bulgarian tourists in a matter of hours. President Georgi Purvanov's surprising visit to Ohrid caused confusion; his desire to see the survivors at the airport of the Macedonian city delayed their return and stirred up their discontent.
"Sega" says further on that there were a lot of irregularities about the "ill-fated trip." The owners of Klyunchev, the carrier company, will probably be fined and may even be held criminally liable. "We should not let this case just pass," Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov is quoted as saying. President Purvanov also called to hold the trip organizers liable. In his words, if experts say so, legislative changes could be made, too.
"Troud" presents the theory of the Macedonian Interior Ministry about the accident, according to which the reason for the tragedy in Lake Ohrid was a problem with the rudder. The steel rope of the rudder broke because the boat was overloaded, "Telegraf" writes.
"Troud" reports that President Purvanov attended a memorial prayer officiated at by Metropolitan Nikolai in St Virgin Mary Church in Plovdiv. In his view, a special unit should be established to perform the functions of the former Emergency Situations Ministry. Metropolitan Nikolai of Plovdiv saw the finger of God in the tragedy. He called on all people to come to their senses and realize how much they irritate God with their lack of reason.
"Zemya" reports that a parliamentary commission will investigate the Lake Ohrid accident. "The tragedy is of such proportions that will no doubt draw a reaction from Parliament," National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva is quoted as saying yesterday. If necessary, a special commission will be set up to investigate the accident, she said. In her words, the case will be carefully considered and if there is some imperfection in the current law, there will be a legislative initiative to remove it, she said.
* * *
"A curved line running in parallel to the blue one is not a straight line," "Sega" writes observing that the "Blue" have changed their behaviour six times in the last two months. Enthusiastic about the right-of-centre majority in parliament, the Blue coalition has became the first parliamentary group which publicly criticizes the new government. Democrats for Strong Bulgaria leader Ivan Kostov, for instance, stated that the new government is not in the clear how long the crisis would go on and is working piecemeal. His partner, Union of Democratic Forces Chairman Martin Dimitrov, said the government is late with the required anti-crisis measures. However, it would be better for the Blue Coalition to try to help the government with managerial ideas and laws. Having been left outside the executive, they appear to be trying to be both rulers and opposition, which is not a winning tactic, the daily says.
* * *
Interviewed for "24 Chassa," Supreme Administrative Court President Konstantin Penchev suggests that supreme magistrates be elected by regions. In his view, there is no system to assess magistrates before their appointment to a senior position. Now magistrates may put up their own candidature for any position and win it by winning the mandatory minimum of 13 votes but it is not clear whether and in what he or she is better than the rest. "And if such a magistrate is later caught with a bribe, nobody bears moral responsibility for it. Parliament should decide if magistrates can name themselves for a higher position," Penchev says.
* * *
All regional chiefs of the Interior Ministry directorates are being replaced at the moment, which is expected to build a new image of the Ministry, "Troud" notes. The daily sums up all changes at the directorates except for the Sofia one, the chief of which has been recently appointed. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov gave a 20-day credit of confidence to all police chiefs.
"I have been after Mityo Ochite for eight years," Milen Dimitrov, Police Director of Bourgas, says in an interview given to "Monitor." In his view, some provisions in the Penal Code are not in line with the realities. The society develops dynamically, and the laws develop slowly. It takes a strong, organized State to stand up against organized crime, Dimitrov says. He is categorical that drug boss Dimiter Zhelyazkov, or Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes) as he is known, is "an organized
criminal, which means that he is not alone." In Dimitrov's words, the fact that Zhelyazkov is in the focus of the media makes the people behind him feel quite comfortable in doing what they do. "The State must not allow criminals to choose their punishment. That is why some changes should be done in the Code of Criminal Procedure," Dimitrov says.
* * *
The Bulgarian pension system is bankrupt, Georgi Angelov from the Open Society Institute says in "Troud." In his words, the reason to call the system "bankrupt" is that retirees get low pensions and workers pay high social insurance contributions. He sees the reform of the pension system as its capitalization: young people should make larger savings towards a pension. Furthermore, as owner of enterprises, real estates, woodlands and infrastructure amounting to billions of leva, the State could finance the pension system lending it sustainable stability and finally replacing the current "bankrupt" model.
* * *
"Troud" carries an interview with Academician Nikola Subotinov, President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), who says that the Academy has nearly 130 products which may be introduced right away. "We are setting up companies of our own in which our doctoral students and scientists will introduce our products, will organize productions and will make money," Subotinov says. "On the average, about 120 companies use our products here, in Bulgaria, annually. This number is not small but far from enough. We have patented products in our laboratories in which nobody shows interest. That is why we are setting up those companies. We want that the young and enterprising people use them."
ECONOMY
In a month, the cabinet has economized 450 million leva, "24 Chassa" says. In August Bulgaria's budget deficit was 105 million leva, according to Dow Jones. In July the deficit was 565 million leva. According to the agency, the deficit shrank as a result of cutting down government spending by 15 per cent, the largest cut of all other EU member states. It is pointed out that the government intends to decrease salaries paid in the public sector and to freeze pensions until the summer of 2010. The worst effects of the crisis are still to hit the economy but further spending cuts should see Bulgaria balance its budget in 2009, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov told Dow Jones.
* * *
"This country is by 300 million leva reacher after a signature," "24 Chassa" says. The daily discusses the measure taken by Boyko Borissov cabinet to stop fuel smuggling. It is recalled that as of October 1, 2009 all petrol stations in Bulgaria should be linked to the National revenue Agency and to report the amounts of fuel sold on a daily basis. This may prove to be one of the most efficient ways of curbing fuel smuggling. Oddly enough, no government did not do it until now. The excuse was that there was no money and that it was not possible technically to build such links. However, experts' estimates show that a petrol station is to invest about 2,000 - 3,000 leva in the project. There are 2,000 petrol stations in Bulgaria which have not been fiscalized. Multiplying their number by 3,000 leva makes a total of 6 million leva - money which the previous governments were reluctant to spend although the return on the investment would be 300 million leva more every year.
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 7, 2009
• Day of National Mourning for the victims of the tragic accident in Lake Ohrid, Macedonia, in which a tourist boat sank. Fifteen Bulgarian citizens drowned, 40 survived.
• Bodies of the Bulgarians who died in Ohrid Lake should be identified by their relatives first, and then they could be transported to Bulgaria, said deputy foreign minister Marin Raykov. The forensic medicine in Macedonia has not accepted identification of the bodies made by the other tourists in the group to issue death certificates.
• Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva and Japan Ambassador in Sofia Tsuneharu Takeda exchange notes on a 350,000 euro donation from the Japanese government for the National Art Gallery. The donation is provided under the Japanese Programme for Grant Aid in Culture.
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