Bulgarian press review, February 23, 2010

Press Review
Sofia, February 23 (BTA)


HOME SCENE

National Revenue Agency chief Krassimir Stefanov has proposed an idea of implicating owners of expensive estates and cars, that are formally in the possession of other persons, "24 Chassa" writes. According to Stefanov, this could be done through a legislative amendment envisaging that a person using lastingly given property should be considered its co-owner for tax purposes.

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The National Revenue Agency (NRA) expects to collect up to 10 million leva in VAT from people with annual income exceeding 50,000 leva from sources different from employment under a contract of service, "Troud" writes. When people have such income they should be registered under VAT. Yet, 90 of the 100 Bulgarians having declared income of over 1 million for 2009 do not have such registration. NRA has begun a campaign of forceful VAT registration. The paper refers to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as saying before Pro.Bg television that the second stage of the operation involves checks of people having bank accounts in Switzerland. Referring to Djankov "Classa" writes that NRA employees are leaving for Germany to get familiarized with data about people, who have allegedly not paid their taxes in Bulgaria but have placed their money in Swiss banks. Earlier this month it transpired that Germany has been offered a CD containing data on the bank accounts of German citizens in Switzerland. The CD reportedly contained data about nationals of other countries, including Bulgaria. "Novinar" also reports about the issue.

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Workers of the Kabiyuk studfarm, near Shoumen, have not been paid wages for 34 months now, "Douma" writes citing Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria Vice President Valentin Nikiforov. The same paper cites data showing that employers owe workers a total of 400 million leva in wage arrears. The paper refers to unionists as saying that unemployment is expected to reach 15 per cent this year, which means that the number of unemployed will increase by 200,000 people.

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Sixty-four per cent of the elderly live in misery, 21 per cent of the Bulgarian population is poor, "Zemya" writes referring to data presented at the opening of the European Year for Combatting Poverty and Social Exclusion. Fifty-five per cent of the people living in poverty are unemployed and 23 of them are women.

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Electricity in Bulgaria is expensive and non-competitive, eng. Krassimir Purvanov, Executive Director of the National Electric Company (NEK), says cited by "Troud". In his view charges should be increased by some 0.02 leva/kWh as of July 1. Purvanov is also quoted as saying that in the next two years NEK should invest at least 100-150 million leva in reconstruction of electricity pipelines and sub-stations because of the renewable energy sources (RES). This includes the reconstruction of the Shabla and Kavarna sub-stations as well as enhancing the transiting capacity of electric pipelines.

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The number of new houses has dropped by some 70 per cent in a year. A total of 1,343 construction permits for buildings with a total of 3,921 apartments were issued in the last quarter of last year, which compares to 2,452 permits for 12,881 apartments issued in the like period of 2008. These data, supplied by the National Statistical Institute, are quoted by "Sega" and "Dnevnik". The decrease comes following a continuous increase of the number of construction permits issued in the course of five years, "Sega" recalls.

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Sofia is second in the efficiency of costs of big cities category within a ranking of European cities, which has been published by the FDI Magazine, owned by "Financial Times", for 2010/2011, "Classa" writes. Within the same ranking Stara Zagora is placed second in the foreign investment strategy category.

JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS

According to "Telegraf", charges will be pressed against Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader and ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev next week for the lost secret report of the State Agency for National Security (SANS).

It is time that Petko Sertov (the first SANS chief) starts talking about the Octopus, says Metodi Andreev, former chairman of the communist-era secret police files commission, cited by "Novinar". In an operation codenamed Octopus, former State Agency for National Security officer Alexei Petrov and 13 other persons were arrested on the night of February 9 to 10 and were later charged with blackmailing, extortion and racketeering, inducement to prostitution, drug pushing, influence trading, money laundering, concealment of income, tax evasion and fraudulent recovery of VAT input tax.

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Alexei Petrov worked under a contract of service at the Kremikovtzi metal works in the course of six years, "24 Chassa" writes. He was reportedly hired on January 7, 2000 as Economic Advisor. His monthly salary was 444.20 leva. Petrov quit in late 2006 after submitting a prior notification in November the same year. Petrov allegedly played a role during the scrap crisis in the company heading the taskforce in charge of settling the problem.

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In an interview for "24 Chassa" former sport minister Vessela Lecheva says that Sergei Stanishev should have tendered his resignation. Lecheva states that she would withdraw from the party, if she sees that there is no will for serious change.

FOREIGN POLICY

The Chief Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime is checking the case with the missing bag with ballot papers in Washington, "Troud" says. This scandal has prompted the recall of Bulgarian Ambassador to the US Luchezar Petkov by ex-foreign minister Rumiana Jeleva. The inspection has been ordered seven months after the July 5 parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.

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The European Union is not concerned about Russian investments in the Belene N-plant, "Novinar" quotes President Georgi Purvanov as saying after a meeting with EU Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger. Purvanov is on a two-day visit to Brussels. Energy was the top issue on the agenda of his talks. Bulgaria has placed the issue of speeding up the Nabucco gas pipeline project at highest level within the EU, the daily writes. This country is also interested in increasing the role of nuclear power as Europe considers it as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and attaining its goals for delay of global warming.

CULTURE

The idea of the Culture Ministry for the establishment of four museum complexes in Sofia is a global project, which has no precedent in Bulgaria, says Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov quoted by "24 Chassa". Rashidov is categorical that the theatre reform will be beneficial for the artists, would guarantee their professional development and boost their self-confidence.

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Bulgarian popular pop singer Lilly Ivanova has instigated court proceedings against composer Mitko Shterev, having written the music for some of her best songs, "Troud" writes. The singer got insulted from an article by Shterev entitled, "At 80 Lilly Will Still Be The Same Liar". The first hearing of the case is scheduled for Thursday. The claim is for 10,000 leva. "

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 – February 23, 2010

· Bulgaria can join the Euro area in 2013. This is what President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek said after the meeting with the Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov, the Bulgarian National Radio reported.

· No more reshuffles and appointments will be made in the Cabinet, said Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in the town of Gabrovo commenting on Ivan Kostov’s (DSB) idea deputy Prime Minister for EU funds to be appointed, Radio FOCUS Veliko Tarnovo correspondent informs. “Reshuffles are not made when the team is working well,” Borisov said.

· Prosecutor’s Office has brought charges against the former Minister of Labor and Social Policy Emilia Maslarova, the Prosecutor’s Office press office announced. Maslarova has been investigated in connection with the award to a close friend of an overpriced contract for repair of a social services centre in Stara Zagora and embezzlement of 9.807 million leva of funding under the Beautiful Bulgaria Programme.

· Russian Embassy in Bulgaria has received a bomb threat signal on Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Interior’s press office announced. The signal was received at 112 emergency phone line. The police have searched the region but no bombs were found.

· Flights from and to Athens, scheduled for February 24 (Wednesday), were canceled over the strike of the employees of the Air Traffic Management in Athens, Sofia Airport press office announced.