Press Review
Sofia, August 17 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
In a few weeks the government will adopt a decision changing the form and responsibility zone of the Bulgarian troops in Kabul, Defence Minister Nikolay Mladenov says in an interview for "24 Chassa" headlined "Our Rangers in Kabul Go into Action." A company will be sent to guard the outer perimeter of the airport of Kabul, replacing the mechanized company and the guarding platoon which are now there. In Mladenov's words, this was planned by the previous government but the adoption of the respective decision was put off deliberately until after the elections. "I delayed the decision to assure myself that our contingent is prepared for its new task and that everything is agreed with our allies," he says. The defence minister pledges that everything possible will be done and that the military will get their remuneration. At the moment, the Defence Ministry team is reviewing the rearmament contracts for which there is not enough money in the budget.
* * *
"Tsacheva Checks Sergei's Spending," "Standart News" writes on its front page. Referring to National Assembly Chairperson Tsetska Tsacheva, other dailies report that the National Audit
Office will be asked to audit the financial management and operation of Sergei Stanishev's cabinet. The audit proposal has been approved by the National Assembly Budget and Finance Committee. The latest audit, which did not find serious irregularities, was conducted last year and covered 2007, "24 Chassa" recalls.
* * *
In January-July the Commission for Identifying Criminal Assets Acquisition ensured the distraint of property in 128 cases totalling 98 million leva, "Douma" says on its front page. The press quotes Commission Chairman Stoyan Koushlev who says that their greatest success was the seizure of the property of drug boss Dimiter Zhelyazkov, aka Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes).
* * *
The Culture Ministry has utilized almost 70 per cent of its budget and all contracts have been signed - mainly for capital investment, Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov says in an interview for "Troud." The problem is that the Ministry will have to reduce the remainder of the budget by 15 per cent, or 8 million leva, as all other ministers have to do, he says.
* * *
"24 Chassa" carries an interview with Ex-President Peter Stoyanov (1996-2001) who has called Macedonian President Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov to discuss the Spaska Mitrova case. Appealing Mitrova's sentence will be a lengthy process and in the meantime her three-month prison term will end; that is why the only possible way of helping her is that she be pardoned by the Macedonian president, Stoyanov says. "Standart News" notes that Mitrova, who holds a dual citizenship - Macedonian and Bulgarian - and is in the Skopje prison, may be released for good behaviour before the expiration of her term. This is what Minister without Portfolio Bojidar Dimitrov expects.
* * *
"Novinar" announces that Macedonian and Moldovan citizens have been trading illegally Bulgarian passports. Minister without Portfolio Bojidar Dimitrov told the paper there were companies in Moldova and Macedonia which offered people to provide them with Bulgarian citizenship within three months against payment.
* * *
According to the new director of the National Customs Agency (NCA), Gen. Vanyo Tanov, statutory and structural changes should be made to guarantee the performance of the tasks involved in the elimination of smuggling rings. This is what Tanov says in an interview which "24 Chassa" publishes under the headline "I Am Not Afraid of the Monteray Circle [mob-like group believed to be ruling Bulgaria]. I Am Removing Their People." In his words, different customs offices are under the protection of individual circles. A purge has started at the customs and two deputy directors of the NCA have been dismissed. "Standart News" says that the two dismissed deputy directors, Roumen Bozhinov and Hristo Abadjiev, are suspected of assisting smuggling. The fate of Tanov's third deputy director, Krassimir Nikolov, will be decided next week; he is investigated by the prosecution authorities. The NCA Chief Secretary, Chavdar Vassev, is also expected to be relieved of his duties, "Standart News" says. The head of the Kremikovtsi Customs Office, Daniela
Petrova, has been dismissed, Tanov says.
* * *
Interviewed for "Dnevnik," Deputy Economy, Energy and Tourism Ivo Marinov says it is planned to draft a new law on tourism introducing standards for the quality of tourist products, in particular for hydrotherapy, spa, cultural and rural tourism.
* * *
Rural tourism is on its way of replacing sun-and-sea tourism, "Monitor" reports. Referring to the Bulgarian Village Agency, it says that this summer there is an at least 20 per cent increase in the demand for rural tourism offers.
* * *
"Troud" gives special prominence to abuses at the Agency for Social Assistance. An inspection of the Agency showed that companies offer hearing aids to people with impaired hearing at 5.15 US dollars a piece and then get a refund of 406 leva from the State.
* * *
The Swiss company Arvex has sold to the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) old wagons for 16 million leva, "Standart News" reports in its leading story. Valentin Mollov, the owner of First Private Bank that went bankrupt, arranged the purchase of the wagons, made in the 1970s, from Germany where they were to be used as scrap. The price charged is by 2,800 per cent higher.
JUDICIARY, INTERIOR MINISTRY
The National Investigation Service (NIS) has instituted legal proceedings against an unknown perpetrator acting on a tip-off of an attempt to extract a bribe of 600,000 leva by an officer of the Economy and Energy Ministry. The bribe was to be paid by Mladen Moutafchiyski, a businessman, for obtaining approval of project under Operative Programme Competitiveness
of Bulgarian economy.
* * *
There should be a little change in the Code of Criminal Procedure allowing the hearing of a case within a week, NSI Director Boyko Naydenov says in an interview for "Standart News." Legal actions have been brought against eleven magistrates, most of them over corruption charges.
* * *
There are two cases of instituting pre-trial proceedings for scandalous land swaps made in the past seven of eight years; they are expected to be completed in two months, Deputy Sofia Prosecutor Roman Vassilev says in an interview given to "Monitor." He also says that investigations have been launched at the defence Ministry and the Labour and Social Policy
Ministry.
* * *
All aspects of the Galeria [Gallery] investigative case will be carefully examined by the National Bureau for Special Surveillance Means (SSM) Control to establish whether the State
Agency for National Security (SANS) used them lawfully, the deputy chairman of the Bureau, Anton Stankov, told "Dnevnik." Galeria was an operation involving the wiretapping of politicians and journalists had been wiretapped as part of the Galeria case and this seriously undermined the prestige of SANS.
ECONOMY
Plants hit by the crisis are put up for sale, "Dnevnik" says in its leading story. Private law-enforcement officers are selling industrial property totalling over 45 million leva. Four hotels, estimated at over 16 million leva, are also sold for debts.
* * *
The expenditure side of the budgets of ministries and state agencies have been reduced by 15.15 per cent, or nearly 367 million leva, "Troud" writes.
* * *
"Sega" says on its front page that the prices of flats have fallen down to their prime cost. The decline in the prices of vacation property is steepest; housing units in Sofia remain the most expensive ones.
* * *
Despite the crisis there is interest in the market of farming land, "Dnevnik" notes. The difference is that supply exceeds demand and it is buyers who dictate the prices. This is what a survey "Dnevnik" conducted among big land traders showed.
* * *
The National Revenue Agency (NRA) is going to establish mobile groups to curb VAT frauds, "Standart News" writes. The groups will exercise preventive control of companies seeking VAT
registration or those already VAT-registered. In another item the daily reports that NRA has uncovered a VAT siphoning scheme involving employees of the NRA directorate in Sliven. The
irregularities there included also conflict of interest and nepotism.
* * *
The Directorate for National Construction Control issued 470 orders for removal of unlawful structures in january-June, "Standart News" says referring to Ivan Simidchiev who head the
Directorate. A total of 247 structures were demolished, 219 of which by their owners.
* * *
The prices of all basic vegetables fell last week, "24 Chassa" says. The price drop coincided with the mass inspections conducted by tax inspectors and mobile customs groups at large
commodity exchanges and warehouses.
* * *
Bulgarian companies have 1,714 bank accounts with over 4 million leva in them, "Standart News" says quoting data of the National Bank of Bulgaria (BNB). The crisis emptied the Bulgarian companies' bank accounts; largest are the ones held by automobile and motorcycle traders.
BULGARIA - EU
"Klassa" reports that nearly 79 million leva will be granted to businesses under Operative Programme "Human Resources" in support of the measure for part-time workers assistance, Labour and Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov told the daily.
* * *
So far only 1.2 per cent of the 13,200 million euro provided by the EU have been absorbed by Bulgarian beneficiaries, "Monitor" reports referring to the Deputy Chairman of the National Chamber of Enterprise and Crafts, Yossif Avramov. In his view, a state-owned or a joint public-private consortium of companies should be established to draft projects for European funding in a centralized way, which will increase the absorption rates.
SOCIETY
Archaeologist Diana Dimitrova has uncovered an extremely rich Roman tomb at the village of Kroushare, Sliven region, "Standart News" reports. A unique gold wreath headpiece was found in a mound which will be called Kitov Mound" after the name of Prof. Georgi Kitov, a prominent Bulgarian archaeologist.
* * *
"24 Chassa" says on its first page that at least 200 Bulgarians use old cooking oil as fuel for their motor cars; it costs them maximum 2 leva per 100 km.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 17, 2009
• Express estimations of gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2009 show a decline in the economy by 4.8 percent compared to the corresponding period of previous year, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) informed.
According to express quarterly estimates of NSI the actual decline in GDP was 4.8 percent for the second quarter of 2009 compared to the same period of previous year. In nominal terms GDP reached 15 826 million euro in current prices.
• The Bulgarian engineer, Konstantino Alexandro, who was murdered last week in the Dominican Republic, was allegedly not killed for the money he was carrying. Santo Domingo newspaper, El Nacional, reported that Alexandro was carrying 22 500 Dominican Pesos, USD 203, a golden ornament and a gun but none of them were taken by the attackers. El Nacional cited Police Deputy Director, Cesar Ramirez. Workers at the car wash at which Alexandro had left his car were witnesses to the event as he was attacked just after he took money out of a local ATM. The report concluded that it is not yet clear what Alexandro was doing in the Dominican Republic. El Caribe stated that his body is currently in the National Medical Institute and has not been looked for by any relatives or friends. They added that the autopsy results are due later Monday. Ten people have been questioned by the Dominican police so far on the case of Alexandro who was murdered in Bella Vista Mall area last week.
• Between 300 000 and 400 000 people have been taken in the grey economy, Minister of Labor and Social Policy Toyu Mladenov said during a sudden check in a fast food restaurant on Vitosha blvd in the capital, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. Mladenov stated that the check is being carried out after a signal.
mandag den 17. august 2009
fredag den 14. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 14, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 14 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
The government will hold a competition to select a bank that will provide the best lending terms to all people waiting for transplants, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov says in a "24 Chassa" interview. He also says that when Socialist Roumen Petkov asked him for a meeting about Bulgaria's hosting an F1 round, Borissov immediately met with him and suggested the military
airport at Dobroslavtsi as the venue.
The National Public Opinion Centre found in a survey that half of Bulgarians approve Borissov's first steps as prime minister, and 70 per cent are hopeful about the new power-holders,
"Standart News" writes.
"Dnevnik" says the new team at the Health Ministry is set to launch long-awaited reforms in health care by introducing a second pillar of health insurance. The basic package of medical services financed by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is to be reduced, and private health insurance funds should build up on this. Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev suggests that they should use part of the NHIF reserve with the National Bank or get a state subsidy. The health insurance contribution will remain unchanged at 8 per cent in 2010. Representatives of the health insurance industry said the ambition to change things was "something good". In a "Monitor" interview, Nanev says clinical pathways will not be reduced in number.
***
The dailies quote Rosen Plevneliev, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, as saying that Bulgaria may have to pay back between 500 and 700 million leva from January 2011.
This is funding under the ISPA Programme which may not be absorbed by the closing date December 31, 2010. The most problematic ISPA-financed projects are administered by the
Transport Ministry: the second bridge over the Danube and the electrification of the Plovdiv-Svilengrad railway, the minister told "Troud" last week.
"We will seek subsidies equal to the rest of the EU," Deputy Agriculture Minister Tsvetan Dimitrov says in a "Pari" interview. He adds that small farmers will be brought to light
from the grey economy and will be saved from middlemen.
***
"Monitor" says that GERB's parliamentary group wants to scrap the majoritarian voting in the election of MPs introduced this year.
The National Assembly's new secretary, Ivan Slavchov, says in "Troud" there will be no new limos for the MPs.
***
"Standart News" says at least eight people will run in the mayoral by-election in Sofia on November 15. It will be held because mayor Boyko Borissov became prime minister.
THE ECONOMY
Foreign direct investments (FDI) shrank to their lowest level since 2005, "Klassa" writes, quoting the central bank's first-half preliminary data about foreign capital. FDI stood at 1,560 million euro (4.6 per cent of GDP) in January-June 2009, down from 3,270 million euro (9.6 per cent of GDP) a year earlier. The largest investments were attracted from the Netherlands (15.9 per cent of the total), followed by Austria (14 per cent) and Germany (10.3 per cent). In terms of attracted
investments, financial agency tops the list with 530 million euro, followed by trade, repairs and technical services (332 million euro) and real estate transactions (213.8 million euro).
***
Tax inspectors are watching companies across the country both secretly and openly, "24 Chassa" reports. The teams, usually made up of two people, hold information about companies of the same industry, often located side by side, one of which reports a turnover between 10 and 100 times smaller than the other. The inspectors start by secretly counting the visitors to the shop suspected of underreporting its turnover, and then openly enter it and find out the real sales in the course of a few days.
Deputy Economy Minister Ivo Marinov, who is responsible for tourism, says in "Monitor" that the ministry is mulling giving a tax break to every Bulgarian who has spent at least six days in
a Bulgarian resort, hotel or other legitimate accommodation. The details are yet to be discussed.
INTERIOR MINISTRY, JUDICIARY
Quoting sources from the prosecuting magistracy, "Standart News"says businessman Hristo Kovachki will be brought to justice in early September after an investigation into massive tax evasion was completed. Kovachki is the owner of coal mines and thermal power plants and of a foodstore chain. His LEADER Party ran in the recent parliamentary elections.
"Troud" runs an interview with Prosecutor General Boris Velchev, who says he has been interacting very well with the interior minister and, in the last few days, with the new director of the State Agency for National Security. Velchev says he shares some strategic views with the two, including on legislation. People who defrauded the public purse should be treated no less aggressively than those who committed EU money fraud, Velchev says.
***
"Sega" frontpages a story about what it says is the first lobbying scandal in the new parliament. At its first meeting Parliament's Legal Committee discussed who is to sit in for a notary who has been elected MP, "Troud" says. This was because the Committee's Chair, Iskra Fidossova (GERB) is a notary in Montana. It was proposed to amend the Notaries Act to stipulate that when the notary is away because he or she was elected MP, mayor or President, the deputy notary can deputize for him or her. The two-year limit to the term of deputizing for the notary should be dropped, probably because MPs are elected for four years, the daily says. The Legal Committee asked the Justice
Minister for an opinion. The ex-justice minister, Miglena Tacheva, rejected these proposed amendments in the previous parliament.
***
"Novinar" reports that a psychopath has been stabbing children in Sofia with syringes. Quoting Interior Ministry reports, the daily says this happened to four children, mostly in the Lyulin
and Obelya residential districts, in the first seven months of the year.
***
"Troud" devotes a story to Bulgarian actors and musicians in Hollywood. Of all Bulgarians, former European karate champion Stephanie Cheeva (born Stefka Georcheva) has been most in demand. She appeared in films including "The Last Eve", "Spawn: Armageddon", "Exorcism ", "The Ultimate Game", "Martial Law", "Nash Bridges", "VIP", "Good Versus Evil" and "Tequila Express". She also features in the voiceover of computer games (Armageddon, Star Trek and Star Wars).
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 14, 2009
• It is undignified for the members of the Stanishev cabinet to conceal their failures and abuses in the field of capital expenses by citing demands of the social partners, including the trade unions, the Executive Board of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour said in a declaration, a copy of which was received at BTA on Friday. The union said that on Thursday former finance minister Plamen Oresharski tried to explain the 30 per cent excess in spending in the capital expenses of Budget 2009 by the insistence of trade unions and employers to finance certain facilities.
• Bulgaria's energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki is allegedly due to appear in court in early September charged with massive tax evasion. Prosecutors are currently preparing the final charges which will be announced soon according to legal sources cited by Bulgarian daily newspaper Standart. The investigation against Kovachki has been completed the sources added but the final charges are still being debated by the prosecutors who have a short deadline in which to prepare a detailed case. Before the case is sent to the court Kovachki will be given the opportunity to get acquainted with the materials so as to prepare his defense, court sources confirmed.
• The leader of the ethnic Turkish party DPS, Ahmed Dogan will be sanctioned for not showing at four out of five of the Bulgaria Parliament sessions in July. This has been announced Friday by the National Assembly's Chair, Tsetska Tsacheva, BGNES reported. Dogan's salary will be cut by 2/3ds as a fine for his absences in July, Tsacheva said. The leader of the DPS party has been a Member of every Parliament since 1990, and is known for not showing on sessions of the assembly. Dogan only visits the Parliament when there is non-confidence vote, a new government or National Assembly Chairs are being elected, sources from the Parliament commented. It turned out on Friday that Ahmed Dogan will be fined for his estate in the capital Sofia. The Bulgarian authorities established that the wall, the BBQ, and the guardhouse were illegal.
Sofia, August 14 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
The government will hold a competition to select a bank that will provide the best lending terms to all people waiting for transplants, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov says in a "24 Chassa" interview. He also says that when Socialist Roumen Petkov asked him for a meeting about Bulgaria's hosting an F1 round, Borissov immediately met with him and suggested the military
airport at Dobroslavtsi as the venue.
The National Public Opinion Centre found in a survey that half of Bulgarians approve Borissov's first steps as prime minister, and 70 per cent are hopeful about the new power-holders,
"Standart News" writes.
"Dnevnik" says the new team at the Health Ministry is set to launch long-awaited reforms in health care by introducing a second pillar of health insurance. The basic package of medical services financed by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) is to be reduced, and private health insurance funds should build up on this. Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev suggests that they should use part of the NHIF reserve with the National Bank or get a state subsidy. The health insurance contribution will remain unchanged at 8 per cent in 2010. Representatives of the health insurance industry said the ambition to change things was "something good". In a "Monitor" interview, Nanev says clinical pathways will not be reduced in number.
***
The dailies quote Rosen Plevneliev, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, as saying that Bulgaria may have to pay back between 500 and 700 million leva from January 2011.
This is funding under the ISPA Programme which may not be absorbed by the closing date December 31, 2010. The most problematic ISPA-financed projects are administered by the
Transport Ministry: the second bridge over the Danube and the electrification of the Plovdiv-Svilengrad railway, the minister told "Troud" last week.
"We will seek subsidies equal to the rest of the EU," Deputy Agriculture Minister Tsvetan Dimitrov says in a "Pari" interview. He adds that small farmers will be brought to light
from the grey economy and will be saved from middlemen.
***
"Monitor" says that GERB's parliamentary group wants to scrap the majoritarian voting in the election of MPs introduced this year.
The National Assembly's new secretary, Ivan Slavchov, says in "Troud" there will be no new limos for the MPs.
***
"Standart News" says at least eight people will run in the mayoral by-election in Sofia on November 15. It will be held because mayor Boyko Borissov became prime minister.
THE ECONOMY
Foreign direct investments (FDI) shrank to their lowest level since 2005, "Klassa" writes, quoting the central bank's first-half preliminary data about foreign capital. FDI stood at 1,560 million euro (4.6 per cent of GDP) in January-June 2009, down from 3,270 million euro (9.6 per cent of GDP) a year earlier. The largest investments were attracted from the Netherlands (15.9 per cent of the total), followed by Austria (14 per cent) and Germany (10.3 per cent). In terms of attracted
investments, financial agency tops the list with 530 million euro, followed by trade, repairs and technical services (332 million euro) and real estate transactions (213.8 million euro).
***
Tax inspectors are watching companies across the country both secretly and openly, "24 Chassa" reports. The teams, usually made up of two people, hold information about companies of the same industry, often located side by side, one of which reports a turnover between 10 and 100 times smaller than the other. The inspectors start by secretly counting the visitors to the shop suspected of underreporting its turnover, and then openly enter it and find out the real sales in the course of a few days.
Deputy Economy Minister Ivo Marinov, who is responsible for tourism, says in "Monitor" that the ministry is mulling giving a tax break to every Bulgarian who has spent at least six days in
a Bulgarian resort, hotel or other legitimate accommodation. The details are yet to be discussed.
INTERIOR MINISTRY, JUDICIARY
Quoting sources from the prosecuting magistracy, "Standart News"says businessman Hristo Kovachki will be brought to justice in early September after an investigation into massive tax evasion was completed. Kovachki is the owner of coal mines and thermal power plants and of a foodstore chain. His LEADER Party ran in the recent parliamentary elections.
"Troud" runs an interview with Prosecutor General Boris Velchev, who says he has been interacting very well with the interior minister and, in the last few days, with the new director of the State Agency for National Security. Velchev says he shares some strategic views with the two, including on legislation. People who defrauded the public purse should be treated no less aggressively than those who committed EU money fraud, Velchev says.
***
"Sega" frontpages a story about what it says is the first lobbying scandal in the new parliament. At its first meeting Parliament's Legal Committee discussed who is to sit in for a notary who has been elected MP, "Troud" says. This was because the Committee's Chair, Iskra Fidossova (GERB) is a notary in Montana. It was proposed to amend the Notaries Act to stipulate that when the notary is away because he or she was elected MP, mayor or President, the deputy notary can deputize for him or her. The two-year limit to the term of deputizing for the notary should be dropped, probably because MPs are elected for four years, the daily says. The Legal Committee asked the Justice
Minister for an opinion. The ex-justice minister, Miglena Tacheva, rejected these proposed amendments in the previous parliament.
***
"Novinar" reports that a psychopath has been stabbing children in Sofia with syringes. Quoting Interior Ministry reports, the daily says this happened to four children, mostly in the Lyulin
and Obelya residential districts, in the first seven months of the year.
***
"Troud" devotes a story to Bulgarian actors and musicians in Hollywood. Of all Bulgarians, former European karate champion Stephanie Cheeva (born Stefka Georcheva) has been most in demand. She appeared in films including "The Last Eve", "Spawn: Armageddon", "Exorcism ", "The Ultimate Game", "Martial Law", "Nash Bridges", "VIP", "Good Versus Evil" and "Tequila Express". She also features in the voiceover of computer games (Armageddon, Star Trek and Star Wars).
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 14, 2009
• It is undignified for the members of the Stanishev cabinet to conceal their failures and abuses in the field of capital expenses by citing demands of the social partners, including the trade unions, the Executive Board of the Podkrepa Confederation of Labour said in a declaration, a copy of which was received at BTA on Friday. The union said that on Thursday former finance minister Plamen Oresharski tried to explain the 30 per cent excess in spending in the capital expenses of Budget 2009 by the insistence of trade unions and employers to finance certain facilities.
• Bulgaria's energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki is allegedly due to appear in court in early September charged with massive tax evasion. Prosecutors are currently preparing the final charges which will be announced soon according to legal sources cited by Bulgarian daily newspaper Standart. The investigation against Kovachki has been completed the sources added but the final charges are still being debated by the prosecutors who have a short deadline in which to prepare a detailed case. Before the case is sent to the court Kovachki will be given the opportunity to get acquainted with the materials so as to prepare his defense, court sources confirmed.
• The leader of the ethnic Turkish party DPS, Ahmed Dogan will be sanctioned for not showing at four out of five of the Bulgaria Parliament sessions in July. This has been announced Friday by the National Assembly's Chair, Tsetska Tsacheva, BGNES reported. Dogan's salary will be cut by 2/3ds as a fine for his absences in July, Tsacheva said. The leader of the DPS party has been a Member of every Parliament since 1990, and is known for not showing on sessions of the assembly. Dogan only visits the Parliament when there is non-confidence vote, a new government or National Assembly Chairs are being elected, sources from the Parliament commented. It turned out on Friday that Ahmed Dogan will be fined for his estate in the capital Sofia. The Bulgarian authorities established that the wall, the BBQ, and the guardhouse were illegal.
torsdag den 13. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 13, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 13 (BTA)
ECONOMY
Today's dailies give front-page prominence to the data about the national budget published by the Finance Ministry. "Dnevnik" writes in a headline that there is budget hole for the first time in the past 65 months; "Monitor": The Treasury Is Empty, Boiko Calls Stanishev"; "Sega": "Stanishev Blew The Budget Surplus in a Month"; "24 Chassa": Borissov Send Stanishev and Oresharski for Face-off with Djankov"; "Troud": "Budget Deficit of 372,400, 000 Leva."
"Troud" says that in July alone the budget deficit exceeded 550 million leva year-on-year. Angered by the deficit, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said that ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev and ex-finance minister Plamen Oresharski would be asked to come to the Finance Ministry to give an account of the situation at the Treasury in the presence of the media.
"Dnevnik" says that Oresharski has accepted the invitation and today is meeting with his successor Simeon Djankov. Stanishev's government spent the budget surplus posted in January 2009 to the last penny, the daily notes. Reacting to the accusations of the new government, Oresharski stated that the buffers envisaged in the budget totalled 3,900 million leva and that "only a clairvoyant could predict exactly how the processes would unfold this year."
"I was not surprised by the deficit but by its amount which increased due to pre-election spending," Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov says in an interview for
"Pari." Djankov expects larger budget revenues from excise duties, the collectability of which should be ensured by the National Customs Agency; from VAT - responsible for VAT compliance is the National Revenue Agency; and from the energy sector. Djankov expects a drop of 2 per cent in Bulgaria's GDP in 2010, saying that after the deep crisis the Bulgarian economy will grow significantly, increasing by nearly 8 per cent in 2011-2012. "Employers' organizations want a reduction in social insurance contributions by 5 per cent and I support this rate but believe that the reduction should be a step-by-step one: 2 per cent in 2010, and 1 per cent each in the following two years," Djankov says.
HOME SCENE
"Douma" announces that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) will launch a probe investigating the procedure involved in approving school textbooks. "Express" writes that according to Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova she received a lot of reports about irregularities in the approval of textbook and that is why she asked SANS to conduct a check. "Troud" reports that the government will allocate 26 million leva for schools and kindergartens applying successfully the system of delegated budgets.
* * *
Under the headline "1,000 Million Down the Drains" "Standart News says that 1,000 projects for construction of village sewerage systems that cost between 500,000 leva and 4 million leva have been approved by the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Conservation Activities with the Ministry of Environment and Water and the European funds. The daily refers to Environment and Water Minister Nona Karadjova, who says that 720 million leva from the budget have been spent in the last four years for providing small settlements with sewerage systems, while only 1 per cent of the money went to the construction of waste-water treatment plants for towns with over 10,000 population.
* * *
The press reports about the appointment of 18 new regional governors: of Blagoevgrad, Bourgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kurdjali, Montana, Pernik, Plovdiv, Rousse, Silistra, Smolyan, Sofia City, Sofia Region, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo and Vratsa. They are described in the following way: "municipal councillors and leaders of GERB's local chapters, a mayor, and former officers, some of them agents of the former State Security Committee" ("Dnevnik"); "counterintelligence officers, municipal councillors and people having serious businesses" ("24 Chassa"); "Lawyer Takes Sofia, Teacher - Blagoevgrad" ("Standart News"). The government is yet to decide who the governors of the remaining 10 regions would be.
* * *
"Pirinski Clears Himself for Repair of MPs' Dwellings," "24 Chassa" says in a headline. Commenting on reports about abuse and uncontrolled spending of money by the administration of the 40th National Assembly, "Troud" writes that according to former National Assembly chairman Georgi Pirinski (of the Bulgarian Socialist Party), a special 800,000 leva public procurement contract was awarded for the repair of MPs' dwellings due to a SANS position on security presented in writing.
"Douma" quotes Pirinski as saying that the major facts about the four-year term of the previous government should not be misrepresented.
* * *
"State Plucks Up Courage, Declares Part of Dogan's Property Unlawful," "Sega" says in a front-page headline. The National Directorate for Construction Control has opened a file checking
the legality of a real estate Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan hold in Sofia's Boyana Borough, "Troud" reports. Most of the other dailies discuss the same theme.
INTERIOR MINISTRY, JUDICIARY
The dailies report about the replacement of senior officials at the Interior Ministry announced by Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. The government has proposed to the President to relieve Pavlin Dimitrov of his duties as Commissioner General of the Interior Ministry and to appoint the head of Criminal Police General Directorate, Kalin Georgiev, to this position.
* * *
Referring to Interior Minister Tsvetanov, "24 Chassa" writes on its front page that policemen will use combat bullets instead of hollow-point ones.
* * *
"Dnevnik" says that the Interior Ministry, the National Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency are investigating 16 companies for fuel smuggling acting on information from operatives and tip-offs.
* * *
"Troud" carries an interview with the interior minister who says that according to data of international organizations, there were 610,000 crimes committed in Bulgaria in 2008 but only 20 per cent of them got registered as crime victims rarely inform the Interior Ministry about them.
* * *
A commission of the Belene prison allowed the transfer of Dimiter Zhelyazkov, aka Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes), convicted on charges of organized crime and drug trafficking, to an open prison facility situated in Kazichene, near Sofia, "Dnevnik" writes. However, Zhelyazkov spent only three days in Kazichene and was sent back to Belene. Deputy Justice Minister Hristo Angelov failed to explain why allowing Zhelyazkov's transfer the commission had not taken into account the fact that the former drug boss is pending trial on other charges, too.
"Troud" front-pages a photo which the paper has been sent and which shows that Zhelyazkov was spotted outside the Kazichene prison facility on August 9.
SOCIETY
The theme of today's issue of "Troud" is the reform of education. According to an extensive item, the academic year will start without any surprises but the lack of a law on secondary education makes doubtful the optimization of the school network and the operation of the new system of decentralized financing. The new Education, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova will not use velvet gloves as her predecessors did when the reforms of education are at stake, "Troud" says quoting Fandakova. The education minister has got to cope with four tasks: giving weight to school leaving examinations; proving that the so-called "external assessments"
(examinations held at the end of every academic year) are real tests showing the condition of education; reversal of Bulgaria's decline in international literacy grading; providing teachers with such status as to prevent their being seen any more as people who teach at school because they have no better choice.
* * *
"Dnevnik" publishes an interview with Dr Tsvetan Raychinov, recently elected President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, who says that without legalized out-of-pocket payments there cannot be quality health care at this stage in Bulgaria.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 13, 2009
• As of 1 January 2010 Bulgaria might have to return between EUR 500 million and EUR 700 million in ISPA funds because of its failure to implement projects or because of delays, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev says in an interview with FOCUS News Agency. This is the conclusion Minister Plevneliev has come to after examining the documents he has received since he took over the post. For example, the risk is high with the integrated water project in the northern municipality of Ruse because the delays are enormous. The delay of Lot 2 is a year and 5-6 months. The work done is 4%, instead of 75-76%. So the risk is enormous, he says. If by the end of 2010 the project is not accomplished in compliance with ISPA rules, Bulgaria starts returning large sums, he says and notes that the government is aware of that risk and starts taking measures.
• Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has set a date for partial local elections in capital Sofia and northwestern municipality of Vratsa – 15 November, the press service of the President’s Office announced.
In compliance with article 98, item 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and in connection with article 106, paragraph 1 of the Local Elections Act, President Georgi Parvanov determined that on 15 November 2009 the municipalities of Sofia and Vratsa will hold partial mayoral elections.
• Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has asked for a speedy investigation by the prosecutor's office into decisions made by the previous government. Borisov was talking at the opening of a 2,5 km renovated section of road between Boulevard G.M. Dimitrov and the Sofia Ring Road. He said; "For years huge surpluses were talked, and now these surpluses are gone and we do not have roads." Borisov added that given the abuse of major budget items he had asked the Chief Prosecutor to shorten the time limits on investigations into the decisions taken by the former PM Sergey Stanishev's cabinet. Asked about the words of former Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski, who suggested that the hole in the budget is not that large, Borisov stated that it depends on you point of view and whether you care about the country. Oresharski, has accepted the invitation of his successor Simeon Djankov, and PM Borisov for a meeting.
Sofia, August 13 (BTA)
ECONOMY
Today's dailies give front-page prominence to the data about the national budget published by the Finance Ministry. "Dnevnik" writes in a headline that there is budget hole for the first time in the past 65 months; "Monitor": The Treasury Is Empty, Boiko Calls Stanishev"; "Sega": "Stanishev Blew The Budget Surplus in a Month"; "24 Chassa": Borissov Send Stanishev and Oresharski for Face-off with Djankov"; "Troud": "Budget Deficit of 372,400, 000 Leva."
"Troud" says that in July alone the budget deficit exceeded 550 million leva year-on-year. Angered by the deficit, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said that ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev and ex-finance minister Plamen Oresharski would be asked to come to the Finance Ministry to give an account of the situation at the Treasury in the presence of the media.
"Dnevnik" says that Oresharski has accepted the invitation and today is meeting with his successor Simeon Djankov. Stanishev's government spent the budget surplus posted in January 2009 to the last penny, the daily notes. Reacting to the accusations of the new government, Oresharski stated that the buffers envisaged in the budget totalled 3,900 million leva and that "only a clairvoyant could predict exactly how the processes would unfold this year."
"I was not surprised by the deficit but by its amount which increased due to pre-election spending," Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov says in an interview for
"Pari." Djankov expects larger budget revenues from excise duties, the collectability of which should be ensured by the National Customs Agency; from VAT - responsible for VAT compliance is the National Revenue Agency; and from the energy sector. Djankov expects a drop of 2 per cent in Bulgaria's GDP in 2010, saying that after the deep crisis the Bulgarian economy will grow significantly, increasing by nearly 8 per cent in 2011-2012. "Employers' organizations want a reduction in social insurance contributions by 5 per cent and I support this rate but believe that the reduction should be a step-by-step one: 2 per cent in 2010, and 1 per cent each in the following two years," Djankov says.
HOME SCENE
"Douma" announces that the State Agency for National Security (SANS) will launch a probe investigating the procedure involved in approving school textbooks. "Express" writes that according to Education, Youth and Science Yordanka Fandakova she received a lot of reports about irregularities in the approval of textbook and that is why she asked SANS to conduct a check. "Troud" reports that the government will allocate 26 million leva for schools and kindergartens applying successfully the system of delegated budgets.
* * *
Under the headline "1,000 Million Down the Drains" "Standart News says that 1,000 projects for construction of village sewerage systems that cost between 500,000 leva and 4 million leva have been approved by the Enterprise for Management of Environmental Conservation Activities with the Ministry of Environment and Water and the European funds. The daily refers to Environment and Water Minister Nona Karadjova, who says that 720 million leva from the budget have been spent in the last four years for providing small settlements with sewerage systems, while only 1 per cent of the money went to the construction of waste-water treatment plants for towns with over 10,000 population.
* * *
The press reports about the appointment of 18 new regional governors: of Blagoevgrad, Bourgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kurdjali, Montana, Pernik, Plovdiv, Rousse, Silistra, Smolyan, Sofia City, Sofia Region, Turgovishte, Varna, Veliko Turnovo and Vratsa. They are described in the following way: "municipal councillors and leaders of GERB's local chapters, a mayor, and former officers, some of them agents of the former State Security Committee" ("Dnevnik"); "counterintelligence officers, municipal councillors and people having serious businesses" ("24 Chassa"); "Lawyer Takes Sofia, Teacher - Blagoevgrad" ("Standart News"). The government is yet to decide who the governors of the remaining 10 regions would be.
* * *
"Pirinski Clears Himself for Repair of MPs' Dwellings," "24 Chassa" says in a headline. Commenting on reports about abuse and uncontrolled spending of money by the administration of the 40th National Assembly, "Troud" writes that according to former National Assembly chairman Georgi Pirinski (of the Bulgarian Socialist Party), a special 800,000 leva public procurement contract was awarded for the repair of MPs' dwellings due to a SANS position on security presented in writing.
"Douma" quotes Pirinski as saying that the major facts about the four-year term of the previous government should not be misrepresented.
* * *
"State Plucks Up Courage, Declares Part of Dogan's Property Unlawful," "Sega" says in a front-page headline. The National Directorate for Construction Control has opened a file checking
the legality of a real estate Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan hold in Sofia's Boyana Borough, "Troud" reports. Most of the other dailies discuss the same theme.
INTERIOR MINISTRY, JUDICIARY
The dailies report about the replacement of senior officials at the Interior Ministry announced by Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov. The government has proposed to the President to relieve Pavlin Dimitrov of his duties as Commissioner General of the Interior Ministry and to appoint the head of Criminal Police General Directorate, Kalin Georgiev, to this position.
* * *
Referring to Interior Minister Tsvetanov, "24 Chassa" writes on its front page that policemen will use combat bullets instead of hollow-point ones.
* * *
"Dnevnik" says that the Interior Ministry, the National Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agency are investigating 16 companies for fuel smuggling acting on information from operatives and tip-offs.
* * *
"Troud" carries an interview with the interior minister who says that according to data of international organizations, there were 610,000 crimes committed in Bulgaria in 2008 but only 20 per cent of them got registered as crime victims rarely inform the Interior Ministry about them.
* * *
A commission of the Belene prison allowed the transfer of Dimiter Zhelyazkov, aka Mityo Ochite (Mityo the Eyes), convicted on charges of organized crime and drug trafficking, to an open prison facility situated in Kazichene, near Sofia, "Dnevnik" writes. However, Zhelyazkov spent only three days in Kazichene and was sent back to Belene. Deputy Justice Minister Hristo Angelov failed to explain why allowing Zhelyazkov's transfer the commission had not taken into account the fact that the former drug boss is pending trial on other charges, too.
"Troud" front-pages a photo which the paper has been sent and which shows that Zhelyazkov was spotted outside the Kazichene prison facility on August 9.
SOCIETY
The theme of today's issue of "Troud" is the reform of education. According to an extensive item, the academic year will start without any surprises but the lack of a law on secondary education makes doubtful the optimization of the school network and the operation of the new system of decentralized financing. The new Education, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova will not use velvet gloves as her predecessors did when the reforms of education are at stake, "Troud" says quoting Fandakova. The education minister has got to cope with four tasks: giving weight to school leaving examinations; proving that the so-called "external assessments"
(examinations held at the end of every academic year) are real tests showing the condition of education; reversal of Bulgaria's decline in international literacy grading; providing teachers with such status as to prevent their being seen any more as people who teach at school because they have no better choice.
* * *
"Dnevnik" publishes an interview with Dr Tsvetan Raychinov, recently elected President of the Bulgarian Medical Association, who says that without legalized out-of-pocket payments there cannot be quality health care at this stage in Bulgaria.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 13, 2009
• As of 1 January 2010 Bulgaria might have to return between EUR 500 million and EUR 700 million in ISPA funds because of its failure to implement projects or because of delays, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Rosen Plevneliev says in an interview with FOCUS News Agency. This is the conclusion Minister Plevneliev has come to after examining the documents he has received since he took over the post. For example, the risk is high with the integrated water project in the northern municipality of Ruse because the delays are enormous. The delay of Lot 2 is a year and 5-6 months. The work done is 4%, instead of 75-76%. So the risk is enormous, he says. If by the end of 2010 the project is not accomplished in compliance with ISPA rules, Bulgaria starts returning large sums, he says and notes that the government is aware of that risk and starts taking measures.
• Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov has set a date for partial local elections in capital Sofia and northwestern municipality of Vratsa – 15 November, the press service of the President’s Office announced.
In compliance with article 98, item 1 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria and in connection with article 106, paragraph 1 of the Local Elections Act, President Georgi Parvanov determined that on 15 November 2009 the municipalities of Sofia and Vratsa will hold partial mayoral elections.
• Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has asked for a speedy investigation by the prosecutor's office into decisions made by the previous government. Borisov was talking at the opening of a 2,5 km renovated section of road between Boulevard G.M. Dimitrov and the Sofia Ring Road. He said; "For years huge surpluses were talked, and now these surpluses are gone and we do not have roads." Borisov added that given the abuse of major budget items he had asked the Chief Prosecutor to shorten the time limits on investigations into the decisions taken by the former PM Sergey Stanishev's cabinet. Asked about the words of former Finance Minister Plamen Oresharski, who suggested that the hole in the budget is not that large, Borisov stated that it depends on you point of view and whether you care about the country. Oresharski, has accepted the invitation of his successor Simeon Djankov, and PM Borisov for a meeting.
tirsdag den 11. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 11, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 11 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
The main topics in the national dailies are related to the review of the performance of the previous government, disclosures about abuses by its members as well as upcoming
inspections, initiated by the incumbent cabinet.
***
"24 Chassa" writes that the Sofia City Prosecution Office has launched pre-trial proceedings against employees of the Transport Ministry for the supply of two planes for Air Squad 28. The investigation carried out is based on charges of abuse of office and is prompted by a report of Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov. In connection with the same issue, "Troud" runs an interview with Transport Minister Tsvetkov and his predecessor Peter Moutafchiev.
***
The dailies report about upcoming checks for offences at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. "Dnevnik" writes that the prosecution authority will check thoroughly the Beautiful Bulgaria Project. Its hitherto chief Stanimir Kolev has been dismissed and replaced by Arch. Valeria Boteva, the paper writes referring to Labour Minister Totyu Mladenov. In a frontpage story "Troud" writes that in the last days of her tenure former minister of labour and social policy Emila Maslarova spent 35,868 leva for plates and boards for the Complex of Social
Services in Stara Zagora.
***
Over 200 ha of fertile lands were taken away from the agrarian institutes with the Agricultural Academy and replaced by scattered and derelict fields, "24 Chassa" writes. The Agriculture Ministry's Inspectorate and the State Agency for National Security are inspecting the documentation on the scandalous deals and charges about these swaps are expected to
be pressed against former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov within days.
***
The Agriculture Fund has undertaken serious measures against companies implicated in frauds and has asked them to return voluntarily the subsidies received within the SAPARD programme,
"Sega" writes.
***
"Standart News" says that the Anoya company signed a contract on the management of a beach in the Primorsko Black Sea resort with the help of former regional development and public works
minister Asen Gagaouzov days before the July 5 parliamentary elections. However, the beach already had a lawful manager, the local Orisei company, the Mayor of Primorsko says quoted by the paper.
***
"24 Chassa" writes that former prime minister Sergei Stanishev will summon the ministers of his cabinet to create defence against the "general review" of their performance. The Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will discuss Tuesday the charges against the three-party coalition as all former ministers of the Left have been invited to attend the meeting, the paper explains. The same paper says further that, also on Tuesday, National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva will present the results of an internal inspection in Parliament. Internal restructuring is expected on the basis of the analysis so as to reduce expenditures, the paper adds.
***
The dailies report that Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov spoke in defence of the five policemen, sentenced to prison for an aggregate term of 82 years. They are charged with the killing of Angel "Chorata" Dimitrov in Blagoevgrad (Southwestern Bulgaria) on November 10, 2005 while allegedly resisting arrest during a police crackdown on organized crime codenamed Operation Respect. The Interior Minister backed the policemen's protests against the court judgment. Tsvetanov asked for lighter sentences for the five policemen. "If it were up to me, I would
not have allowed their imprisonment," said he.
***
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov presented the new chief of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), Tsvetelin Yovchev, the press writes. The two said that no other replacement of SANS
officials are expected.
***
A new unit in charge of the management of the EU funds is expected to be established already this or next week, at the latest, "Dnevnik" writes. It will most probably be headed by European Institute Director Yuliana Nikolova, the dailies report.
***
"Front against Stanishev," "Standart News" writes in a headline. Referring to members of the Socialist Party, the daily says that there are five candidates for the position of a BSP leader:
Meglena Plougchieva, Georgi Pirinski, Georgi Kadiev, Yanaki Stoilov and Vessela Lecheva. A new BSP Chairman is to be elected at the upcoming congress in October.
***
"Klassa" publishes an interview with Education, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova. She says that a team of the Ministry is working to update the National Programme on School Education. A new law on school education is about to be drafted, she states.
***
The national dailies also write about the attack against journalist Ognyan Boyadjiev. Boyadjiev, who is chief editor of www.europe.bg, was beaten at his home in a downtown area of Sofia during a burglary on Saturday night. Two attackers beat and stabbed Boyadjiev, took some personal belongings, debit cards and a mobile phone, after which they locked him in. Before they left, they had cut the telephone wires, but somehow Boyadjiev managed to call the emergency services via the Internet. Boyadjiev was admitted to hospital with no immediate threat to his life. The dailies note that the attack was most probably prompted by personal motives.
ECONOMY
"Troud" refers to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as saying that the July budget deficit was 372.4 million leva on an annual basis, according to Finance Ministry data. An inspection of
"Troud" has shown that Customs Office revenues dropped by 25 per cent in the first seven months of the year.
***
"Dnevnik" writes that customs officers and tax inspectors will tighten control at the Koulata border crossing to guard against illegal import of fruit and vegetables from Macedonia. The daily
refers to a promise given by Finance Minister Djankov before farmers in Petrich.
***
The positive signals for the Bulgarian economy - analyses of different institutions and statistical data - have increased for some days now, which caused stirring on the stock exchange. In June industrial production marked a 6.9 per cent growth month-on-month, according to figures of the National Statistical Institute cited by the paper. Days ago SOFIX surpassed 400
points. Regardless of the increase of unemployment up to 7.62 per cent in July, it will remain as one-digit figure (about 8 per cent) by the end of 2009, according to forecasts of the
Employment Agency. In a separate story "Dnevnik" refers to the Bulgarian National Bank as saying that there will be no significant drop of interests on credits in the following months
and the ones, charged on deposits, will level off and may begin a steady decrease.
***
"24 Chassa" devotes a story on the profit of intermediary companies from electricity sales. Due to the crisis electricity prices have dropped, which causes losses in the sector. Sixty-four companies possess licences for trade in electricity but, actually, 20 of them are operational. The profits of
private intermediaries in the trade in electricity, produced by the Kozloduy N-plant, stand at millions of leva, the paper says.
SOCIETY
"Sega" writes that the June turnover of the trade in foods and spirits was 3 per cent up year-on-year. These are the only goods that marked an increase of sales.
***
The Interior Ministry launched a campaign of detecting drunk driving on secondary roads among villages, "24 Chassa" writes. According to the Traffic Police, most flagrant violations are
performed by drivers in the areas of Plovdiv, Bourgas, Blagoevgrad, Haskovo and Pernik.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 11, 2009
• Belene NPP is an overrated project for the energy system. Belene NPP and renewable energy sources will enter in conflict, because renewable sources that must be about 3000 MW after three years work according to a schedule that will contradict to Belene NPP work schedule. This is what chairman of the Bulgarian Energy Forum Ivan Hinovski said for Nova TV. He stated that it is very likely Belene NPP and Kozloduy NPP units to knock off work for the night as an example, because when renewable sources will generate over energy for our energy network.
• The new Director of the Bulgarian State Agency National Security (DANS), Tsvetlin Yovchev, has released the advisers to his cabinet. Yovchev took office on August 10 after President Georgi Parvanov issued a decree for his appointment. He will propose to the Council of Ministers that the adviser unit should be closed completely, Darik Radio reported. The press department of DANS also stated that after a full review of the work of the Agency is completed, necessary structural and personnel changes will be made. Yovchev was appointed as the Director of DANS after Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov accepted the resignation of former Director Petko Sertov last Monday.
• New admission regime at the parliamentary building on Alexander Battenberg will enter into force till the end of the week and till the end of the month at the National Assembly. This is what MP from Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) Iskra Fidosova said at a press conference, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. The equipment had been bought earlier but was stored in the basement of the parliament.
Devices that would be installed will report on entering and exiting of each MP from the building via reader detector. The reader will indicate the exact time and day in entering the building as there would be also a screen that will show the image and information for the figure that enters the building.
Sofia, August 11 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
The main topics in the national dailies are related to the review of the performance of the previous government, disclosures about abuses by its members as well as upcoming
inspections, initiated by the incumbent cabinet.
***
"24 Chassa" writes that the Sofia City Prosecution Office has launched pre-trial proceedings against employees of the Transport Ministry for the supply of two planes for Air Squad 28. The investigation carried out is based on charges of abuse of office and is prompted by a report of Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov. In connection with the same issue, "Troud" runs an interview with Transport Minister Tsvetkov and his predecessor Peter Moutafchiev.
***
The dailies report about upcoming checks for offences at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. "Dnevnik" writes that the prosecution authority will check thoroughly the Beautiful Bulgaria Project. Its hitherto chief Stanimir Kolev has been dismissed and replaced by Arch. Valeria Boteva, the paper writes referring to Labour Minister Totyu Mladenov. In a frontpage story "Troud" writes that in the last days of her tenure former minister of labour and social policy Emila Maslarova spent 35,868 leva for plates and boards for the Complex of Social
Services in Stara Zagora.
***
Over 200 ha of fertile lands were taken away from the agrarian institutes with the Agricultural Academy and replaced by scattered and derelict fields, "24 Chassa" writes. The Agriculture Ministry's Inspectorate and the State Agency for National Security are inspecting the documentation on the scandalous deals and charges about these swaps are expected to
be pressed against former agriculture minister Valeri Tsvetanov within days.
***
The Agriculture Fund has undertaken serious measures against companies implicated in frauds and has asked them to return voluntarily the subsidies received within the SAPARD programme,
"Sega" writes.
***
"Standart News" says that the Anoya company signed a contract on the management of a beach in the Primorsko Black Sea resort with the help of former regional development and public works
minister Asen Gagaouzov days before the July 5 parliamentary elections. However, the beach already had a lawful manager, the local Orisei company, the Mayor of Primorsko says quoted by the paper.
***
"24 Chassa" writes that former prime minister Sergei Stanishev will summon the ministers of his cabinet to create defence against the "general review" of their performance. The Executive Bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will discuss Tuesday the charges against the three-party coalition as all former ministers of the Left have been invited to attend the meeting, the paper explains. The same paper says further that, also on Tuesday, National Assembly Chair Tsetska Tsacheva will present the results of an internal inspection in Parliament. Internal restructuring is expected on the basis of the analysis so as to reduce expenditures, the paper adds.
***
The dailies report that Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov spoke in defence of the five policemen, sentenced to prison for an aggregate term of 82 years. They are charged with the killing of Angel "Chorata" Dimitrov in Blagoevgrad (Southwestern Bulgaria) on November 10, 2005 while allegedly resisting arrest during a police crackdown on organized crime codenamed Operation Respect. The Interior Minister backed the policemen's protests against the court judgment. Tsvetanov asked for lighter sentences for the five policemen. "If it were up to me, I would
not have allowed their imprisonment," said he.
***
Prime Minister Boyko Borissov presented the new chief of the State Agency for National Security (SANS), Tsvetelin Yovchev, the press writes. The two said that no other replacement of SANS
officials are expected.
***
A new unit in charge of the management of the EU funds is expected to be established already this or next week, at the latest, "Dnevnik" writes. It will most probably be headed by European Institute Director Yuliana Nikolova, the dailies report.
***
"Front against Stanishev," "Standart News" writes in a headline. Referring to members of the Socialist Party, the daily says that there are five candidates for the position of a BSP leader:
Meglena Plougchieva, Georgi Pirinski, Georgi Kadiev, Yanaki Stoilov and Vessela Lecheva. A new BSP Chairman is to be elected at the upcoming congress in October.
***
"Klassa" publishes an interview with Education, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova. She says that a team of the Ministry is working to update the National Programme on School Education. A new law on school education is about to be drafted, she states.
***
The national dailies also write about the attack against journalist Ognyan Boyadjiev. Boyadjiev, who is chief editor of www.europe.bg, was beaten at his home in a downtown area of Sofia during a burglary on Saturday night. Two attackers beat and stabbed Boyadjiev, took some personal belongings, debit cards and a mobile phone, after which they locked him in. Before they left, they had cut the telephone wires, but somehow Boyadjiev managed to call the emergency services via the Internet. Boyadjiev was admitted to hospital with no immediate threat to his life. The dailies note that the attack was most probably prompted by personal motives.
ECONOMY
"Troud" refers to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as saying that the July budget deficit was 372.4 million leva on an annual basis, according to Finance Ministry data. An inspection of
"Troud" has shown that Customs Office revenues dropped by 25 per cent in the first seven months of the year.
***
"Dnevnik" writes that customs officers and tax inspectors will tighten control at the Koulata border crossing to guard against illegal import of fruit and vegetables from Macedonia. The daily
refers to a promise given by Finance Minister Djankov before farmers in Petrich.
***
The positive signals for the Bulgarian economy - analyses of different institutions and statistical data - have increased for some days now, which caused stirring on the stock exchange. In June industrial production marked a 6.9 per cent growth month-on-month, according to figures of the National Statistical Institute cited by the paper. Days ago SOFIX surpassed 400
points. Regardless of the increase of unemployment up to 7.62 per cent in July, it will remain as one-digit figure (about 8 per cent) by the end of 2009, according to forecasts of the
Employment Agency. In a separate story "Dnevnik" refers to the Bulgarian National Bank as saying that there will be no significant drop of interests on credits in the following months
and the ones, charged on deposits, will level off and may begin a steady decrease.
***
"24 Chassa" devotes a story on the profit of intermediary companies from electricity sales. Due to the crisis electricity prices have dropped, which causes losses in the sector. Sixty-four companies possess licences for trade in electricity but, actually, 20 of them are operational. The profits of
private intermediaries in the trade in electricity, produced by the Kozloduy N-plant, stand at millions of leva, the paper says.
SOCIETY
"Sega" writes that the June turnover of the trade in foods and spirits was 3 per cent up year-on-year. These are the only goods that marked an increase of sales.
***
The Interior Ministry launched a campaign of detecting drunk driving on secondary roads among villages, "24 Chassa" writes. According to the Traffic Police, most flagrant violations are
performed by drivers in the areas of Plovdiv, Bourgas, Blagoevgrad, Haskovo and Pernik.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 11, 2009
• Belene NPP is an overrated project for the energy system. Belene NPP and renewable energy sources will enter in conflict, because renewable sources that must be about 3000 MW after three years work according to a schedule that will contradict to Belene NPP work schedule. This is what chairman of the Bulgarian Energy Forum Ivan Hinovski said for Nova TV. He stated that it is very likely Belene NPP and Kozloduy NPP units to knock off work for the night as an example, because when renewable sources will generate over energy for our energy network.
• The new Director of the Bulgarian State Agency National Security (DANS), Tsvetlin Yovchev, has released the advisers to his cabinet. Yovchev took office on August 10 after President Georgi Parvanov issued a decree for his appointment. He will propose to the Council of Ministers that the adviser unit should be closed completely, Darik Radio reported. The press department of DANS also stated that after a full review of the work of the Agency is completed, necessary structural and personnel changes will be made. Yovchev was appointed as the Director of DANS after Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov accepted the resignation of former Director Petko Sertov last Monday.
• New admission regime at the parliamentary building on Alexander Battenberg will enter into force till the end of the week and till the end of the month at the National Assembly. This is what MP from Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB) Iskra Fidosova said at a press conference, FOCUS News Agency reporter informed. The equipment had been bought earlier but was stored in the basement of the parliament.
Devices that would be installed will report on entering and exiting of each MP from the building via reader detector. The reader will indicate the exact time and day in entering the building as there would be also a screen that will show the image and information for the figure that enters the building.
mandag den 10. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 10, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 10 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Borissov Promises Culprits to Be Sentenced," "Sega" says in a headline. "Let's not ruin the festive occasion with stories about what those rascals did during the years - swapping forests, taking possession of half of Galata peninsula. But the culprits will get their due in the next couple of months," Prime Minister Boiko Borissov is quoted as saying at a ceremony marking the 130th anniversary of the Bulgarian Navy in Varna. "The judiciary has finally seen what the EU expects it to do. It is independent but not independent from the people. When the people wants a change, it must change. I can see a change in the judiciary," he said. Earlier Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced that two former ministers were under investigation.
"Sega" carries an item, according to which GERB has opened Pandora's Box. However, its author notes that the traps the new incumbents are laying for themselves - lack of knowledge, unrestrained threats and ill-considered promises - are dangerous. The Borissov cabinet has started to refer scandalous deals to the prosecution. "But from now on it becomes dependent - on the independent judiciary. It is going to be difficult for GERB - Pandora's box has proved to be a black hole. It is easy to carry out reforms during a crisis. Now more than ever the Bulgarians are craving for order and justice and are ready to pay a high price for it. GERB stands a chance to cut everything that is rotten in the high echelons of power."
* * *
"Two members of the previous government have the bead drawn on them," "Troud" writes. They are former agriculture ministers Nihat Kabil and Valeri Tsvetanov who are expected to be charged with various abuses in office. Former deputy agriculture minister and former senior official at the Agriculture Ministry, Saliha Emin, are facing similar charges.
* * *
"Sega" reports that Dourhan Moustafa MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is investigated by the Bourgas District Prosecution Office for his activities as mayor of Rouen Municipality. According to auditors, Rouen got nearly one million leva for projects that were not implemented at all. If enough evidence is collected, Moustafa will have to be stripped of parliamentary immunity in order to be sued, District Prosecutor Angel Angelov is quoted as saying.
* * *
All swaps of forests will be entered in a public register, Agrarian Minister Miroslav Naydenov says in an interview for "Sega." In his words, an inspection is going on and charges will be made for leaving 70 blanks in the register in order to make back-date entries in it. Commenting on the frozen SAPARD funds, Naydenov says Brussels may be expected to deblock them in September.
* * *
Environment and Water Minister Nona Karadjova says in "24 Chassa" that the National Audit Office will be requested to make an audit at her Ministry and that one of the first cases to be referred to the prosecution office will be the ones involving the villages of Drundar and Mudrevo. The previous leadership of the Ministry poured a lot of money in the two villages without reason; in addition, there are projects of one and the same villages awarded for execution to one and the same contractors that have been financed more than one. Ten public procurement contracts are being inspected at the moment as there are doubts that the projects were financed several times from different sources. "What we found is a great volume of actions that are unlawful in our opinion," Karadjova says.
* * *
"Standart News" carries an interview with Physical Education and Sports Minister Svilen Neykov who proposes to reduce taxes for those who invest in sports, revising the existing legislation accordingly.
* * *
"Sega" announces that a former high-positioned officer of the Defence Ministry will be tried for having concluded an unprofitable deal. The question is about Peter Nenkov, ex-chief of the State Property Executive Agency. Evgeni Ivanov of the Sofia Military prosecution Office is quoted as saying that if proven guilty, Nenkov may get up to five years in prison. According to the investigating authorities, in 2003 Nenkov knowingly signed an unprofitable contract for repair works as a result of which the Agency lost over 21,000 leva.
* * *
"24 Chassa" runs an analysis, according to which the new government will be remembered for its quick start. The cabinet was not only formed quickly but from the very first its members undertook to clean the Augean Stables left by ex-PM Sergei Stanishev's government. "But between the bomb defusing stage and the program implementation one Borissov's team will have to live through an intermediary stage - the resistance of the affected circles. Its members are obviously well-prepared and will produce results when the time comes for them to apply the policy for which they have been chosen. The question is if they can reach that point and whether they will yield to the resistance or overcome it. This does not depend only on the qualities of the new ministers. It is a job the prime minister has got to do. And he must do it quickly and firmly."
* * *
"Public relations are no substitute of politics," Roumyana Buchvarova, Head of the Prime Minister's Office, says in an interview for "Novinar." The drafting of political decisions cannot be a noisy public activity but it should not be shrouded in mystery either. All political decisions must be reasonable, principled, made by taking into account the realities and harmonized with the government's priorities. "
ECONOMY
"A country with a currency board mechanism cannot afford a deficit," Deputy Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov says in an interview held with "Dnevnik." In his words, the countries which can play with the volume of money in circulation may afford a deficit as a tool against the drop in internal consumption but Bulgaria cannot afford it as it has a currency board. "We cannot reduce the reserves of the government and the reserves which support the currency board. Secondly, a deficit in 2009 certainly means a larger deficit in 2010 which pushes us towards a spiral leading to a rather bad situation."
* * *
"There are no reasons to be optimistic about the crisis," Rouslan Stefanov, expert at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, says in an interview given to "Monitor." In his words, the expectations are for a second surge of the crisis. "In March and April there was some talk about a recovery in the largest European, Germany, but now they say that there are signs to the contrary and that there is a downward trend in the economy again. That is why there is no reason to be optimistic that the crisis is nearing its end. In Bulgaria there is a six-month delay in respect to the crisis compared with the countries in the Eurozone. This means that the crisis will be the worst in the third and the fourth quarter of 2009."
* * *
"Standart News" reports that currency exchange offices will be closed for tax evasion or misleading customers with their exchange rates. The National Revenue Agency is conducting checks at all currency exchange offices and the ones which have not paid their taxes or social insurance contributions will be written off the register and deprived of license.
* * *
"Dnevnik" says that real estate transactions declined by 35 per cent in the first six months of 2009 compared with the like period of the previous year. This is what data of the Registration Agency show. In Sofia, Varna and the area around Samokov real estate deals shrank by as much as 50 per cent. The reason is the lack of bank loans, brokers say.
BULGARIA - EU
In 32 months, Bulgaria has absorbed 1 per cent of the European funds, "Sega" reports. Since its accession to the EU, Bulgaria has utilized only 1 per cent of the 7,000 million euro available under the seven operative programs, and 2009 may prove to be a "zero" year in this respect. There is a real danger of having to refund the EU money received, too. At this stage the country it entitled to advance payments only. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 Brussels transferred to Bulgaria 635 million euro in advance payments or less than 10 per cent of the total amount.
* * *
"In the EU we will be in the group of realists," Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva says in reply to the "Troud" question what position Bulgaria will support regarding Turkey's bid for EU membership. "We are in the Balkans, we want stability and security. Our southern border is with Turkey. We will follow the discussion of Turkey's progress and the process of negotiations very carefully. We realize that the EU enlargement process should go on but we should be realistic as to what is possible and pragmatic and should react the soonest possible," Zheleva says.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 10, 2009
• The Editor in Chief of the Bulgarian web-site europe.bg, Ognyan Boyadzhiev, was beaten black and blue in his apartment in Sofia's Ivan Vazov quarter. The 34-year-old man has been taken to Military Hospital in the capital. His condition is stable, and there is no threat for his life, officials reported. The accident happened just before midnight on Sunday. The signal to the police was sent by neighbors who heard cryings for help.
• The deputy from The Blue Coalition Ventsislav Varbanov removed his immunity for the second time in order not to hinder the legal procedure started against him. "In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Statute for the organization and proceedings of the National Assembly, I declare my written consent for the commencement of penal procedure and the reinstatement of the lawsuit against me", is stated in Varbanov's appeal to the NA chairperson.
• Bulgaria will take five urgent measures to fight the illegal import of vegetable and fruits from Macedonia and Greece. This has been announced Monday by the Bulgarian Deputy PM and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, while he was in the Southern Petrich municipality where he pet with farmers from the region.
Sofia, August 10 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Borissov Promises Culprits to Be Sentenced," "Sega" says in a headline. "Let's not ruin the festive occasion with stories about what those rascals did during the years - swapping forests, taking possession of half of Galata peninsula. But the culprits will get their due in the next couple of months," Prime Minister Boiko Borissov is quoted as saying at a ceremony marking the 130th anniversary of the Bulgarian Navy in Varna. "The judiciary has finally seen what the EU expects it to do. It is independent but not independent from the people. When the people wants a change, it must change. I can see a change in the judiciary," he said. Earlier Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov announced that two former ministers were under investigation.
"Sega" carries an item, according to which GERB has opened Pandora's Box. However, its author notes that the traps the new incumbents are laying for themselves - lack of knowledge, unrestrained threats and ill-considered promises - are dangerous. The Borissov cabinet has started to refer scandalous deals to the prosecution. "But from now on it becomes dependent - on the independent judiciary. It is going to be difficult for GERB - Pandora's box has proved to be a black hole. It is easy to carry out reforms during a crisis. Now more than ever the Bulgarians are craving for order and justice and are ready to pay a high price for it. GERB stands a chance to cut everything that is rotten in the high echelons of power."
* * *
"Two members of the previous government have the bead drawn on them," "Troud" writes. They are former agriculture ministers Nihat Kabil and Valeri Tsvetanov who are expected to be charged with various abuses in office. Former deputy agriculture minister and former senior official at the Agriculture Ministry, Saliha Emin, are facing similar charges.
* * *
"Sega" reports that Dourhan Moustafa MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) is investigated by the Bourgas District Prosecution Office for his activities as mayor of Rouen Municipality. According to auditors, Rouen got nearly one million leva for projects that were not implemented at all. If enough evidence is collected, Moustafa will have to be stripped of parliamentary immunity in order to be sued, District Prosecutor Angel Angelov is quoted as saying.
* * *
All swaps of forests will be entered in a public register, Agrarian Minister Miroslav Naydenov says in an interview for "Sega." In his words, an inspection is going on and charges will be made for leaving 70 blanks in the register in order to make back-date entries in it. Commenting on the frozen SAPARD funds, Naydenov says Brussels may be expected to deblock them in September.
* * *
Environment and Water Minister Nona Karadjova says in "24 Chassa" that the National Audit Office will be requested to make an audit at her Ministry and that one of the first cases to be referred to the prosecution office will be the ones involving the villages of Drundar and Mudrevo. The previous leadership of the Ministry poured a lot of money in the two villages without reason; in addition, there are projects of one and the same villages awarded for execution to one and the same contractors that have been financed more than one. Ten public procurement contracts are being inspected at the moment as there are doubts that the projects were financed several times from different sources. "What we found is a great volume of actions that are unlawful in our opinion," Karadjova says.
* * *
"Standart News" carries an interview with Physical Education and Sports Minister Svilen Neykov who proposes to reduce taxes for those who invest in sports, revising the existing legislation accordingly.
* * *
"Sega" announces that a former high-positioned officer of the Defence Ministry will be tried for having concluded an unprofitable deal. The question is about Peter Nenkov, ex-chief of the State Property Executive Agency. Evgeni Ivanov of the Sofia Military prosecution Office is quoted as saying that if proven guilty, Nenkov may get up to five years in prison. According to the investigating authorities, in 2003 Nenkov knowingly signed an unprofitable contract for repair works as a result of which the Agency lost over 21,000 leva.
* * *
"24 Chassa" runs an analysis, according to which the new government will be remembered for its quick start. The cabinet was not only formed quickly but from the very first its members undertook to clean the Augean Stables left by ex-PM Sergei Stanishev's government. "But between the bomb defusing stage and the program implementation one Borissov's team will have to live through an intermediary stage - the resistance of the affected circles. Its members are obviously well-prepared and will produce results when the time comes for them to apply the policy for which they have been chosen. The question is if they can reach that point and whether they will yield to the resistance or overcome it. This does not depend only on the qualities of the new ministers. It is a job the prime minister has got to do. And he must do it quickly and firmly."
* * *
"Public relations are no substitute of politics," Roumyana Buchvarova, Head of the Prime Minister's Office, says in an interview for "Novinar." The drafting of political decisions cannot be a noisy public activity but it should not be shrouded in mystery either. All political decisions must be reasonable, principled, made by taking into account the realities and harmonized with the government's priorities. "
ECONOMY
"A country with a currency board mechanism cannot afford a deficit," Deputy Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov says in an interview held with "Dnevnik." In his words, the countries which can play with the volume of money in circulation may afford a deficit as a tool against the drop in internal consumption but Bulgaria cannot afford it as it has a currency board. "We cannot reduce the reserves of the government and the reserves which support the currency board. Secondly, a deficit in 2009 certainly means a larger deficit in 2010 which pushes us towards a spiral leading to a rather bad situation."
* * *
"There are no reasons to be optimistic about the crisis," Rouslan Stefanov, expert at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, says in an interview given to "Monitor." In his words, the expectations are for a second surge of the crisis. "In March and April there was some talk about a recovery in the largest European, Germany, but now they say that there are signs to the contrary and that there is a downward trend in the economy again. That is why there is no reason to be optimistic that the crisis is nearing its end. In Bulgaria there is a six-month delay in respect to the crisis compared with the countries in the Eurozone. This means that the crisis will be the worst in the third and the fourth quarter of 2009."
* * *
"Standart News" reports that currency exchange offices will be closed for tax evasion or misleading customers with their exchange rates. The National Revenue Agency is conducting checks at all currency exchange offices and the ones which have not paid their taxes or social insurance contributions will be written off the register and deprived of license.
* * *
"Dnevnik" says that real estate transactions declined by 35 per cent in the first six months of 2009 compared with the like period of the previous year. This is what data of the Registration Agency show. In Sofia, Varna and the area around Samokov real estate deals shrank by as much as 50 per cent. The reason is the lack of bank loans, brokers say.
BULGARIA - EU
In 32 months, Bulgaria has absorbed 1 per cent of the European funds, "Sega" reports. Since its accession to the EU, Bulgaria has utilized only 1 per cent of the 7,000 million euro available under the seven operative programs, and 2009 may prove to be a "zero" year in this respect. There is a real danger of having to refund the EU money received, too. At this stage the country it entitled to advance payments only. In 2007, 2008 and 2009 Brussels transferred to Bulgaria 635 million euro in advance payments or less than 10 per cent of the total amount.
* * *
"In the EU we will be in the group of realists," Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva says in reply to the "Troud" question what position Bulgaria will support regarding Turkey's bid for EU membership. "We are in the Balkans, we want stability and security. Our southern border is with Turkey. We will follow the discussion of Turkey's progress and the process of negotiations very carefully. We realize that the EU enlargement process should go on but we should be realistic as to what is possible and pragmatic and should react the soonest possible," Zheleva says.
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 10, 2009
• The Editor in Chief of the Bulgarian web-site europe.bg, Ognyan Boyadzhiev, was beaten black and blue in his apartment in Sofia's Ivan Vazov quarter. The 34-year-old man has been taken to Military Hospital in the capital. His condition is stable, and there is no threat for his life, officials reported. The accident happened just before midnight on Sunday. The signal to the police was sent by neighbors who heard cryings for help.
• The deputy from The Blue Coalition Ventsislav Varbanov removed his immunity for the second time in order not to hinder the legal procedure started against him. "In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Statute for the organization and proceedings of the National Assembly, I declare my written consent for the commencement of penal procedure and the reinstatement of the lawsuit against me", is stated in Varbanov's appeal to the NA chairperson.
• Bulgaria will take five urgent measures to fight the illegal import of vegetable and fruits from Macedonia and Greece. This has been announced Monday by the Bulgarian Deputy PM and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, while he was in the Southern Petrich municipality where he pet with farmers from the region.
fredag den 7. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 7, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 7 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"After six years of stalling, taxmen and customs officers work with a common system," "Sega" reports. "As from Thursday, the National Revenue Agency and the National Customs Agency have been able to exchange data online in real time. Deputy Prime Minister Simeon Djankov announced the success, specifying that this should have happened six years ago. His initial expectations are that the change, for which political will was lacking so far, will bring in some 150-200 million leva into the public purse, and if the Customs improves its performance, another 500 million." The paper also covers the appointment of the former Director of the National Service for Combating Organized Crime, General Vanyo Tanov, as Executive Director of the National Customs Agency. His top priorities are to dismantle the smuggling rings, to halt excise duty evasion, and to scrutinize media reports of abuses. Tanov explained that he is familiar with the smuggling rings and that the corrupt customs officers, who make headline news in the media, will be fired.
"General Tanov is facing an uphill task," "Troud" comments. "He will have to solve the smuggling problem which, according to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, costs the state budget a loss of 1,200 million leva." The daily found, however, that Customs is to blame for a much larger shortfall in revenue, in excess of 2,500 million leva. "In June, Tobacco Products Manufacturers and Traders Association President Emil Dimitrov (now a GERB MP) said that 30 per cent of the cigarettes sold in Bulgaria are smuggled. Considering that 23,000 million cigarettes sell in this country annually, at 2.50-2.60 leva per box this totals some 3,000 million leva. Customs and excise duties and value added tax account for some 70 per cent of the end price, which means that the Exchequer is defrauded of 2,100 million leva."
* * *
"Troud" reports that the notorious information case codenamed "Gallery", in which telephones of MPs and journalists were surveilled, will be declassified because of the heightened public interest. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's decision was circulated by the Government Information Service on Thursday after his meeting with the new Chairman of the State Agency for National Security Tsvetelin Yovchev.
* * *
"Troud" reports that Justice Minister Margarita Popova Thursday presented her deputies to the media, describing them as "her family." These are Zhaneta Petrova of the Supreme Administrative Court, prosecutor Daniela Masheva of the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office, and prosecutor Hristo Angelov of the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office. Popova retained the Ministry's Chief Secretary Ivelina Nikolova, who will be in charge of the work of the administration.
* * *
"Troud" reports that the chief of the Transport Ministry's Automobile Inspectorate Todor Stanishev has been releived of his responsibilities by order of new Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov. The nominal grounds for the dismissal are "systematic failure to fulfill his duties". Todor Stanishev is a cousin of ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev, and Ministry employees suspected a "witch hunt" in the move.
* * *
Interviewed for "24 Chassa," Vladimir Karolev, coordinator of the economic team of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS), says that the incumbent Government stands a chance of being successful. "Borissov has learnt quite a few things from the King [NMSS leader Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha], including the right he let the ministers designate their deputies." "Ministers have been telling me that Boyko now stands as a wall: when there is pressure, because there, too, are such that are preparing for cushy jobs, so he stands above the ministers and does not let them come under pressure. And this is very praiseworthy. Because the main risk facing the incumbent ministers and their deputies is the fact that who sponsored and helped GERB is only starting to come to light." Karolev suggests that before elections sociologists declare who they are working for and who is paying them.
* * *
"Borissov Challenges Turkey by Bulgarian Genocide Day," writes "Sega." "Prime Minister Boyko Borissov backed with conviction Ataka's idea of a Day of Genocide against Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, it emerges from his interview on the Koritarov online site. Borissov specifies that he is expressing a personal position and that the matter will be solved by GERB and Ataka. Prof. Andrei Pantev of Coalition for Bulgaria described the idea as 'mind-boggling'. The reaction of Vesselin Metodiev of The Blue Coalition was similar."
* * *
Interviewed for "Troud", Eductaion, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova explains that the entrance examinations to the elite secondary schools will combine the familiar entrance test after the 7th grade and the external evaluation test. Fandakova notes that there is readiness for a change in higher education and science. The first bill that will be laid before the National Assembly will be the draft Academic Degrees and Ranks Act. Basically, it gives young researchers an opportunity for fast career growth.
* * *
"Rebelion against Severe Sentences of Policemen Brewing at Interior Ministry," according to a front-page headline in "Sega." "The police rebelled against the harsh convictions of Interior Ministry officers. The anger was provoked by the decision of the military court to send the five policemen, charged with the killing of Angel "Chorata" Dimitrov, to prison for an aggregate term of 82 years, as well as by the three-year effective prison sentence passed on Alexander Alexandrov of Sofia's Police Precinct Department No. 9, who was found guilty of coercing a witness. The protest declaration was circulated by the trade union federation at the Interior Ministry which organized unprecedented police rallies while the three-party coalition was in power. 'The unjustified sentences demotivate the personnel and may lead to unforeseeable consequences detrimental to internal security,' the tradeunionists warn."
* * *
"Troud" reports on its front page, quoting own sources, that 60,000 euro were found in the home of former National Assembly chief secretary Ognyan Avramov during a search conducted on July 31. Sofia's Deputy City Prosecutor Borislav Djambazov confirmed that the case is being investigated to clarify the origin of the money and the contents of the papers that Avramov tried to take out of Parliament that same day. Avramov's monthly salary was approximately 2,000 leva, and he holds 19,000 leva on a bank deposit from consumer credit, his financial interests disclosure statement shows.
ECONOMY
"Klassa" quotes National Assembly Economic Policy, Energy and Tourism Committee Chairman Martin Dimitrov as saying after the Committee's first meeting that the Government should collect 1,500 million leva from privatization transactions. Dimitrov explained that the Post-privatization Control Agency has won cases worth over 300 million leva. Another 800 million are being litigated before courts of various instances. Institution of cases for another 400 million leva is forthcoming, Dimitrov said. In his view, part of the money may go into the public purse even this year.
Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) Board Chairman Ivo Prokopiev suggests in a "Troud" interview that social insurance contributions be lowered for compliant companies. He says that his Confederation is preparing for a meeting with the economic team of the Government. One of their demands will be performance of more flexible work, by the hour, and diversification of opportunities for overtime work. In general, the labour market regulation should be adapted to the strongly unpredictable environment related to getting orders and the time limit for their fulfillment. Another measure proposed by CEIBG concerns financial incentives for business, of which the most substantial and discussed instrument is the reduction of social insurance contributions. CEIBG launches the idea to offer an incentive to employers who pay contributions on the actual wage rather than on the minimum thresholds.
"If the Government manages to stabilize the budget, there will be no need of the IMF," according to Georgi Angelov, senior economist at the Open Society Institute-Sofia. Interviewed for "Novinar", he notes that the foremost priority of the Government is to tighten budget discipline both at the ministries and at state-owned companies. "What matters is not to overspend revenues. Next comes relieving the labour market by the largest and soonest possible reduction of social insurance contributions. If we do not cope with the budget problems on our own, our country's credibility will be higher because we will demonstrate that we can solve the problems unaided and do not need a push from the outside."
Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov told a "Monitor" interviewer that the transaction for the two new government planes will definitely be cancelled because the state budget does not allocate money for the leasing payments. "Such money is not available either at the Ministry of Transport or at the Ministry of Finance. The 14 million leva paid so far are not lost, according to the Minister. The State will bring an action for declaration of nullity of the transaction for procurement of the government planes. Then we will be seeking a way to recover that money, too. We will contest the transaction also because the planes do not meet the technical specifications specified in the contract."
BULGARIA - EU
"Brussels will not release our money just because the government is new," warns Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev in "Troud." He says that the manner of work with the EU must be changed. Plevneliev argues that so far things have been rather perfunctory, work has been done from one meeting to another. "We are talking of the need of the motorway projects getting off the ground. But how can this possibly happen once the records here are scattered in the corridors. Just notice how convenient it is that the original documents should be dispersed in all offices. How can you enforce any responsibility? And the European Commission officials are well-paid bureaucrats who will not release the money for Bulgaria just for our fair eyes of because there is a new government. They no longer give money on trust, they are sick and tired of talk." PG/LG
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 7, 2009
• Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov promised state aid for the regions near popular tourist locations, which suffered damages in the recent earthquake, the strongest to shake the country this year.
• BGN 13 million of Air Forces budget has been earmarked for the construction of assembly lines to build a shed, Defense Minister Nikolay Mladenov said. In his words priority areas have been deprived of funds. A bad budget has been left in the ministry. This is a result of mismanagement. The first task of the minister’s team is to develop a project to change the organizational rules in the ministry and restore the single process of programming and planning the budget.
• Bulgaria's Regional Development Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, said today that the completion of three highways is his "absolute priority". He made it clear that the Ministry would focus on the construction of Trakiya Highway (connecting Sofia and Burgas), Maritsa Highway (linking Trakiya Highway to the border with Turkey), and Struma Highway (linking Sofia to the border with Greece).
• The Prosecutor’s Office has demanded two years’ imprisonment and compensations of BGN 132,600 in the trial against Krasimir Gorsov. Gosov’s daughter Manuela was seriously injured in the road accident involving figure skater Maxim Staviski. Krasimir Gorsov is charged with failure to spend more than BGN 130,000 on Manuela’s medical treatment. The sum was raised through charity accounts.
Sofia, August 7 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"After six years of stalling, taxmen and customs officers work with a common system," "Sega" reports. "As from Thursday, the National Revenue Agency and the National Customs Agency have been able to exchange data online in real time. Deputy Prime Minister Simeon Djankov announced the success, specifying that this should have happened six years ago. His initial expectations are that the change, for which political will was lacking so far, will bring in some 150-200 million leva into the public purse, and if the Customs improves its performance, another 500 million." The paper also covers the appointment of the former Director of the National Service for Combating Organized Crime, General Vanyo Tanov, as Executive Director of the National Customs Agency. His top priorities are to dismantle the smuggling rings, to halt excise duty evasion, and to scrutinize media reports of abuses. Tanov explained that he is familiar with the smuggling rings and that the corrupt customs officers, who make headline news in the media, will be fired.
"General Tanov is facing an uphill task," "Troud" comments. "He will have to solve the smuggling problem which, according to Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, costs the state budget a loss of 1,200 million leva." The daily found, however, that Customs is to blame for a much larger shortfall in revenue, in excess of 2,500 million leva. "In June, Tobacco Products Manufacturers and Traders Association President Emil Dimitrov (now a GERB MP) said that 30 per cent of the cigarettes sold in Bulgaria are smuggled. Considering that 23,000 million cigarettes sell in this country annually, at 2.50-2.60 leva per box this totals some 3,000 million leva. Customs and excise duties and value added tax account for some 70 per cent of the end price, which means that the Exchequer is defrauded of 2,100 million leva."
* * *
"Troud" reports that the notorious information case codenamed "Gallery", in which telephones of MPs and journalists were surveilled, will be declassified because of the heightened public interest. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's decision was circulated by the Government Information Service on Thursday after his meeting with the new Chairman of the State Agency for National Security Tsvetelin Yovchev.
* * *
"Troud" reports that Justice Minister Margarita Popova Thursday presented her deputies to the media, describing them as "her family." These are Zhaneta Petrova of the Supreme Administrative Court, prosecutor Daniela Masheva of the Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office, and prosecutor Hristo Angelov of the Supreme Administrative Prosecution Office. Popova retained the Ministry's Chief Secretary Ivelina Nikolova, who will be in charge of the work of the administration.
* * *
"Troud" reports that the chief of the Transport Ministry's Automobile Inspectorate Todor Stanishev has been releived of his responsibilities by order of new Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov. The nominal grounds for the dismissal are "systematic failure to fulfill his duties". Todor Stanishev is a cousin of ex-prime minister Sergei Stanishev, and Ministry employees suspected a "witch hunt" in the move.
* * *
Interviewed for "24 Chassa," Vladimir Karolev, coordinator of the economic team of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS), says that the incumbent Government stands a chance of being successful. "Borissov has learnt quite a few things from the King [NMSS leader Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha], including the right he let the ministers designate their deputies." "Ministers have been telling me that Boyko now stands as a wall: when there is pressure, because there, too, are such that are preparing for cushy jobs, so he stands above the ministers and does not let them come under pressure. And this is very praiseworthy. Because the main risk facing the incumbent ministers and their deputies is the fact that who sponsored and helped GERB is only starting to come to light." Karolev suggests that before elections sociologists declare who they are working for and who is paying them.
* * *
"Borissov Challenges Turkey by Bulgarian Genocide Day," writes "Sega." "Prime Minister Boyko Borissov backed with conviction Ataka's idea of a Day of Genocide against Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire, it emerges from his interview on the Koritarov online site. Borissov specifies that he is expressing a personal position and that the matter will be solved by GERB and Ataka. Prof. Andrei Pantev of Coalition for Bulgaria described the idea as 'mind-boggling'. The reaction of Vesselin Metodiev of The Blue Coalition was similar."
* * *
Interviewed for "Troud", Eductaion, Youth and Science Minister Yordanka Fandakova explains that the entrance examinations to the elite secondary schools will combine the familiar entrance test after the 7th grade and the external evaluation test. Fandakova notes that there is readiness for a change in higher education and science. The first bill that will be laid before the National Assembly will be the draft Academic Degrees and Ranks Act. Basically, it gives young researchers an opportunity for fast career growth.
* * *
"Rebelion against Severe Sentences of Policemen Brewing at Interior Ministry," according to a front-page headline in "Sega." "The police rebelled against the harsh convictions of Interior Ministry officers. The anger was provoked by the decision of the military court to send the five policemen, charged with the killing of Angel "Chorata" Dimitrov, to prison for an aggregate term of 82 years, as well as by the three-year effective prison sentence passed on Alexander Alexandrov of Sofia's Police Precinct Department No. 9, who was found guilty of coercing a witness. The protest declaration was circulated by the trade union federation at the Interior Ministry which organized unprecedented police rallies while the three-party coalition was in power. 'The unjustified sentences demotivate the personnel and may lead to unforeseeable consequences detrimental to internal security,' the tradeunionists warn."
* * *
"Troud" reports on its front page, quoting own sources, that 60,000 euro were found in the home of former National Assembly chief secretary Ognyan Avramov during a search conducted on July 31. Sofia's Deputy City Prosecutor Borislav Djambazov confirmed that the case is being investigated to clarify the origin of the money and the contents of the papers that Avramov tried to take out of Parliament that same day. Avramov's monthly salary was approximately 2,000 leva, and he holds 19,000 leva on a bank deposit from consumer credit, his financial interests disclosure statement shows.
ECONOMY
"Klassa" quotes National Assembly Economic Policy, Energy and Tourism Committee Chairman Martin Dimitrov as saying after the Committee's first meeting that the Government should collect 1,500 million leva from privatization transactions. Dimitrov explained that the Post-privatization Control Agency has won cases worth over 300 million leva. Another 800 million are being litigated before courts of various instances. Institution of cases for another 400 million leva is forthcoming, Dimitrov said. In his view, part of the money may go into the public purse even this year.
Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria (CEIBG) Board Chairman Ivo Prokopiev suggests in a "Troud" interview that social insurance contributions be lowered for compliant companies. He says that his Confederation is preparing for a meeting with the economic team of the Government. One of their demands will be performance of more flexible work, by the hour, and diversification of opportunities for overtime work. In general, the labour market regulation should be adapted to the strongly unpredictable environment related to getting orders and the time limit for their fulfillment. Another measure proposed by CEIBG concerns financial incentives for business, of which the most substantial and discussed instrument is the reduction of social insurance contributions. CEIBG launches the idea to offer an incentive to employers who pay contributions on the actual wage rather than on the minimum thresholds.
"If the Government manages to stabilize the budget, there will be no need of the IMF," according to Georgi Angelov, senior economist at the Open Society Institute-Sofia. Interviewed for "Novinar", he notes that the foremost priority of the Government is to tighten budget discipline both at the ministries and at state-owned companies. "What matters is not to overspend revenues. Next comes relieving the labour market by the largest and soonest possible reduction of social insurance contributions. If we do not cope with the budget problems on our own, our country's credibility will be higher because we will demonstrate that we can solve the problems unaided and do not need a push from the outside."
Transport Minister Alexander Tsvetkov told a "Monitor" interviewer that the transaction for the two new government planes will definitely be cancelled because the state budget does not allocate money for the leasing payments. "Such money is not available either at the Ministry of Transport or at the Ministry of Finance. The 14 million leva paid so far are not lost, according to the Minister. The State will bring an action for declaration of nullity of the transaction for procurement of the government planes. Then we will be seeking a way to recover that money, too. We will contest the transaction also because the planes do not meet the technical specifications specified in the contract."
BULGARIA - EU
"Brussels will not release our money just because the government is new," warns Regional Development Minister Rosen Plevneliev in "Troud." He says that the manner of work with the EU must be changed. Plevneliev argues that so far things have been rather perfunctory, work has been done from one meeting to another. "We are talking of the need of the motorway projects getting off the ground. But how can this possibly happen once the records here are scattered in the corridors. Just notice how convenient it is that the original documents should be dispersed in all offices. How can you enforce any responsibility? And the European Commission officials are well-paid bureaucrats who will not release the money for Bulgaria just for our fair eyes of because there is a new government. They no longer give money on trust, they are sick and tired of talk." PG/LG
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 7, 2009
• Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov promised state aid for the regions near popular tourist locations, which suffered damages in the recent earthquake, the strongest to shake the country this year.
• BGN 13 million of Air Forces budget has been earmarked for the construction of assembly lines to build a shed, Defense Minister Nikolay Mladenov said. In his words priority areas have been deprived of funds. A bad budget has been left in the ministry. This is a result of mismanagement. The first task of the minister’s team is to develop a project to change the organizational rules in the ministry and restore the single process of programming and planning the budget.
• Bulgaria's Regional Development Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, said today that the completion of three highways is his "absolute priority". He made it clear that the Ministry would focus on the construction of Trakiya Highway (connecting Sofia and Burgas), Maritsa Highway (linking Trakiya Highway to the border with Turkey), and Struma Highway (linking Sofia to the border with Greece).
• The Prosecutor’s Office has demanded two years’ imprisonment and compensations of BGN 132,600 in the trial against Krasimir Gorsov. Gosov’s daughter Manuela was seriously injured in the road accident involving figure skater Maxim Staviski. Krasimir Gorsov is charged with failure to spend more than BGN 130,000 on Manuela’s medical treatment. The sum was raised through charity accounts.
onsdag den 5. august 2009
Bulgarian Press Review August 5, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, August 5 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Standard News" runs a commentary entitled "SANS As a Laboratory Mouse" ["SANS" as the abbreviation of State Agency for National Security]. According to Tihomir Bezlov of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SANS is an experiment but whether it is a social or political experiment, remains unclear. "The Agency has failed to become what was expected of it. Its officers have worked on diverse issues, from Kremikovtzi [steel mill] to football refereeing - basically anything a politician could think of. SANS people work in secrecy and it is therefore hard to say what exactly it is they have done. Crime now is in the oligarchy, in the various economic structures siphoning the budget. That means that SANS needs experts in finance and economy rather than policemen and anti-terror experts," says the paper.
***
"Shady Deals Surface in Agriculture" headlines a story in "Troud" which says that SANS has established irregularities in the Agriculture State Fund and the management of the rural development programme. That was announced by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Miroslav Naydenov on Tuesday. The paper writes that the SANS report will cost the chief of the Rural Development Directorate, Miroslava Georgieva, her job. The new Agriculture Minister is also quoted as saying that the previous ministry leadership had been alerted by SANS of the problems but no actions followed.
***
"Standard News" carries an interview with Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov where he enlists his department's priorities. "The big challenge for the Defence Ministry is to structure an integrated defence model. That will also be my topmost priority during my tenure - to have an integrated ministry with clearly defined procedures and good relations between the military and civilians who work for the needs of the Bulgarian defence sector. Second is bringing back the protection of the country into the focus of the whole system," says the Minister.
***
In a "Dnevnik" interview, Labour and Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov says that unemployment should not be allowed to cross the 10 per cent mark. Otherwise the social security system will be in serious trouble, he says. Mladenov is also quoted as saying that a special deputy minister will be put in charge of the operational programme for human resource development. Three new measures under this programme will be opened shortly: for people before retirement, for labour qualification and for motivation and additional training of jobless and employed persons, the Minister says.
***
"Troud" reports of a police riot in the northern town of Pleven against the mild sentences of Roma men who had attacked policemen. The paper says that 200 or more uniformed men rallied outside the Pleven court on Tuesday to express their anger. It all started with an incident in the night between Friday and Saturday last week when police tried to put down a brawl in a Pleven disco and were attacked by drunken men. 30 were taken in custody that night and six of them were sent to court. They pleaded guilty and got symbolic sentences, the report says.
***
"Troud" carries an interview with Evtim Kostadinov, the chairman of the commission in charge of disclosing the documents and announcing the affiliation of Bulgarian citizens to the communist-era State Security and the intelligence services of the army. Kostadinov says that opening the secret police files did away with the myth that the communist State Security held the state together and ensured national security. "People were told that if the files were opened, Bulgaria would go down and everything would collapse. But this step [opening the files] has proven the right thing to do [Е] Many people whose life has been affected by the secret services, feel relaxed now because their personal history would have otherwise haunted them for long years", he says.
ECONOMY
"24 Chassa" asks what it calls its board of economists about the possible sources of revenue to fill a 2.5 billion leva gap that Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has said would open in the national budget. According to Peter Ganev of the Institute of Market Economy, budget revenues can increase by improving the organization of work of the Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agenct. He warns though that results are unlikely to come overnight. Financier Emil Hursev believes that there are ample opportunities for the government to generate revenue at a time of crisis, including concessions, transactions in assets, immovable properties and financial assets. Georgi Stoev of Industry Watch recommends shedding state owned assets which are subject to privatization. Economist Vladimir Karolev says that the only thing that could be done quickly is finalize some privatizations which were frozen by two of the partners in the previous three-party government, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Privatizing tobacco holding Bulgartabac alone can bring between 150 and 200 million leva.
***
In "Sega", Open Society Institute senior economist Georgi Angelov says that two of the anti-crisis measures put forward by the ruling GERB party will not work. One of the proposed measures is to improve services to foreign investors by improving the one-stop-shop service by the InvestBulgaria Agency, enhancing InvestBulgaria's powers to step up interaction with the ministries, and reducing the threshold for foreign investment qualifying for government support. Angelov argues that enhancing the Agency's powers would not necessarily have a positive effect.
He is also against pouring 250 million leva into the Bulgarian Development Bank, which is also on GERB's list of anti-crisis measures, and says it will have an adverse effect.
***
"24 Chassa" has an interview with the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Rosen Plevneliev. He says the first fact he established as he took office in the new government, was that his Ministry has been a defaulting payer and is near-broke. The new ministry leadership thought that outstanding payments to contractors were about 37 million leva but this amount has since swelled to 72 million leva. He believes that the team of former minister Assen Gagaouzov were aware that a crisis was coming and no money would be available to pay contractors and yet between October 2008 and the end of their tenure in July they signed contracts for some 300 million leva pre-VAT.
***
"24 Chassa" quotes the head of the energy regulation committee, Konstantin Shoushoulov, as saying that the price for heating energy will not be adjusted to offset the losses sustained by the Sofia heating utility. A couple of days ago the new Economy Minister said that the company lost 60 million leva due to the decision of former Economy Minister Peter Dimitrov to freeze the price of central heating from January 2009. Shoushoulov explains that despite the losses, the energy regulator cannot approve prices which are departed from the price of natural gas.
"Troud" runs a commentary on the matter entitled "Revolution in Central Heating of a Cold Winter - That is the Question". It says the Sofia heating utility will be expected to present to the Economy Ministry a week from now its estimates for new - higher - prices for heating to become effective this autumn. "The company has so far been adamant that it sells heating energy 20 per cent cheaper than the prime cost. No money is available for a bailout - nor should it be at a time of crisis. There are two options: a revolution for central heating or bankruptcies. But if that happens with the Sofia heating utility [Е] we can expect a collapse of the whole energy system in winter. Another name for revolution is reform. It is badly needed across the heating utility sector," says the paper.
BULGARIA - EU
"Standard News" reports that a new agency may be set up to manage the absorption of EU funding in Bulgaria. It will operate with the Finance Ministry and will control the expending of funding under all operational programmes, said the chairman of the parliamentary committee on European affairs, Svetlin Tanchev. He is quoted as saying that it is one of the ideas for enhancing control on the spending of EU money.
***
"24 Chassa" reports that 10 EU-funded projects have been referred to court within a month in July over suspected fraud. The cases have been probed by a special team of prosecutors investigating fraud with EU money. The team leader, prosecutor Angelina Mitova, said Tuesday that the majority of cases they are working on concern the single area payment scheme which is managed by the Agriculture State Fund. PG/LN/
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 5, 2009
• Earthquake of 4.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale was registered at 10.49 a.m. local Bulgarian time in the Black Sea, the information of the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) states. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Black Sea - 63 kilometers away from Varna, 25 kilometers to the East from Kavarna, and 19 kilometers to the Southeast from Shabla.
• “Some BGN 1.156 billion expenses in the state budget have been cut”, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov announced. In his words, the state budget is heading towards BGN 6 billion non-execution. Up to the present date, there is around BGN 2.5 billion deficit.
Bulgaria's Military Appellate Court has upheld the sentencing of five anti mafia policemen who allegedly killed 38-year-old Angel Dimitrov in the city of Blagoevgrad (the notorious "Chorata" case) to eighty-two years in jail in total. The court enacted 18 years of imprisonment for Miroslav Pisov, while Ivo Ivanov, Boris Mehanjiiski, Yanko Grahovski and Georgi Kalinkov were given 16 years each..
Sofia, August 5 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Standard News" runs a commentary entitled "SANS As a Laboratory Mouse" ["SANS" as the abbreviation of State Agency for National Security]. According to Tihomir Bezlov of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, SANS is an experiment but whether it is a social or political experiment, remains unclear. "The Agency has failed to become what was expected of it. Its officers have worked on diverse issues, from Kremikovtzi [steel mill] to football refereeing - basically anything a politician could think of. SANS people work in secrecy and it is therefore hard to say what exactly it is they have done. Crime now is in the oligarchy, in the various economic structures siphoning the budget. That means that SANS needs experts in finance and economy rather than policemen and anti-terror experts," says the paper.
***
"Shady Deals Surface in Agriculture" headlines a story in "Troud" which says that SANS has established irregularities in the Agriculture State Fund and the management of the rural development programme. That was announced by Agriculture and Forestry Minister Miroslav Naydenov on Tuesday. The paper writes that the SANS report will cost the chief of the Rural Development Directorate, Miroslava Georgieva, her job. The new Agriculture Minister is also quoted as saying that the previous ministry leadership had been alerted by SANS of the problems but no actions followed.
***
"Standard News" carries an interview with Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov where he enlists his department's priorities. "The big challenge for the Defence Ministry is to structure an integrated defence model. That will also be my topmost priority during my tenure - to have an integrated ministry with clearly defined procedures and good relations between the military and civilians who work for the needs of the Bulgarian defence sector. Second is bringing back the protection of the country into the focus of the whole system," says the Minister.
***
In a "Dnevnik" interview, Labour and Social Policy Minister Totyu Mladenov says that unemployment should not be allowed to cross the 10 per cent mark. Otherwise the social security system will be in serious trouble, he says. Mladenov is also quoted as saying that a special deputy minister will be put in charge of the operational programme for human resource development. Three new measures under this programme will be opened shortly: for people before retirement, for labour qualification and for motivation and additional training of jobless and employed persons, the Minister says.
***
"Troud" reports of a police riot in the northern town of Pleven against the mild sentences of Roma men who had attacked policemen. The paper says that 200 or more uniformed men rallied outside the Pleven court on Tuesday to express their anger. It all started with an incident in the night between Friday and Saturday last week when police tried to put down a brawl in a Pleven disco and were attacked by drunken men. 30 were taken in custody that night and six of them were sent to court. They pleaded guilty and got symbolic sentences, the report says.
***
"Troud" carries an interview with Evtim Kostadinov, the chairman of the commission in charge of disclosing the documents and announcing the affiliation of Bulgarian citizens to the communist-era State Security and the intelligence services of the army. Kostadinov says that opening the secret police files did away with the myth that the communist State Security held the state together and ensured national security. "People were told that if the files were opened, Bulgaria would go down and everything would collapse. But this step [opening the files] has proven the right thing to do [Е] Many people whose life has been affected by the secret services, feel relaxed now because their personal history would have otherwise haunted them for long years", he says.
ECONOMY
"24 Chassa" asks what it calls its board of economists about the possible sources of revenue to fill a 2.5 billion leva gap that Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has said would open in the national budget. According to Peter Ganev of the Institute of Market Economy, budget revenues can increase by improving the organization of work of the Customs Agency and the National Revenue Agenct. He warns though that results are unlikely to come overnight. Financier Emil Hursev believes that there are ample opportunities for the government to generate revenue at a time of crisis, including concessions, transactions in assets, immovable properties and financial assets. Georgi Stoev of Industry Watch recommends shedding state owned assets which are subject to privatization. Economist Vladimir Karolev says that the only thing that could be done quickly is finalize some privatizations which were frozen by two of the partners in the previous three-party government, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms. Privatizing tobacco holding Bulgartabac alone can bring between 150 and 200 million leva.
***
In "Sega", Open Society Institute senior economist Georgi Angelov says that two of the anti-crisis measures put forward by the ruling GERB party will not work. One of the proposed measures is to improve services to foreign investors by improving the one-stop-shop service by the InvestBulgaria Agency, enhancing InvestBulgaria's powers to step up interaction with the ministries, and reducing the threshold for foreign investment qualifying for government support. Angelov argues that enhancing the Agency's powers would not necessarily have a positive effect.
He is also against pouring 250 million leva into the Bulgarian Development Bank, which is also on GERB's list of anti-crisis measures, and says it will have an adverse effect.
***
"24 Chassa" has an interview with the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Rosen Plevneliev. He says the first fact he established as he took office in the new government, was that his Ministry has been a defaulting payer and is near-broke. The new ministry leadership thought that outstanding payments to contractors were about 37 million leva but this amount has since swelled to 72 million leva. He believes that the team of former minister Assen Gagaouzov were aware that a crisis was coming and no money would be available to pay contractors and yet between October 2008 and the end of their tenure in July they signed contracts for some 300 million leva pre-VAT.
***
"24 Chassa" quotes the head of the energy regulation committee, Konstantin Shoushoulov, as saying that the price for heating energy will not be adjusted to offset the losses sustained by the Sofia heating utility. A couple of days ago the new Economy Minister said that the company lost 60 million leva due to the decision of former Economy Minister Peter Dimitrov to freeze the price of central heating from January 2009. Shoushoulov explains that despite the losses, the energy regulator cannot approve prices which are departed from the price of natural gas.
"Troud" runs a commentary on the matter entitled "Revolution in Central Heating of a Cold Winter - That is the Question". It says the Sofia heating utility will be expected to present to the Economy Ministry a week from now its estimates for new - higher - prices for heating to become effective this autumn. "The company has so far been adamant that it sells heating energy 20 per cent cheaper than the prime cost. No money is available for a bailout - nor should it be at a time of crisis. There are two options: a revolution for central heating or bankruptcies. But if that happens with the Sofia heating utility [Е] we can expect a collapse of the whole energy system in winter. Another name for revolution is reform. It is badly needed across the heating utility sector," says the paper.
BULGARIA - EU
"Standard News" reports that a new agency may be set up to manage the absorption of EU funding in Bulgaria. It will operate with the Finance Ministry and will control the expending of funding under all operational programmes, said the chairman of the parliamentary committee on European affairs, Svetlin Tanchev. He is quoted as saying that it is one of the ideas for enhancing control on the spending of EU money.
***
"24 Chassa" reports that 10 EU-funded projects have been referred to court within a month in July over suspected fraud. The cases have been probed by a special team of prosecutors investigating fraud with EU money. The team leader, prosecutor Angelina Mitova, said Tuesday that the majority of cases they are working on concern the single area payment scheme which is managed by the Agriculture State Fund. PG/LN/
Links to some Bulgarian info websites in English:
• http://www.bta.bg/site/en/indexe.shtml
• http://www.novinite.com/index.php
• http://www.focus-fen.net/
Most discussed topics of the day – August 5, 2009
• Earthquake of 4.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale was registered at 10.49 a.m. local Bulgarian time in the Black Sea, the information of the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) states. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Black Sea - 63 kilometers away from Varna, 25 kilometers to the East from Kavarna, and 19 kilometers to the Southeast from Shabla.
• “Some BGN 1.156 billion expenses in the state budget have been cut”, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov announced. In his words, the state budget is heading towards BGN 6 billion non-execution. Up to the present date, there is around BGN 2.5 billion deficit.
Bulgaria's Military Appellate Court has upheld the sentencing of five anti mafia policemen who allegedly killed 38-year-old Angel Dimitrov in the city of Blagoevgrad (the notorious "Chorata" case) to eighty-two years in jail in total. The court enacted 18 years of imprisonment for Miroslav Pisov, while Ivo Ivanov, Boris Mehanjiiski, Yanko Grahovski and Georgi Kalinkov were given 16 years each..
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