Press Review
Sofia, December 4 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
"Troud" reports that GERB wants the Interior Ministry to have full uninterrupted access to data from mobile operators and internet traffic. The Council of Ministers introduced in Parliament on Thursday new amendments to the Electronic Communications Act, which turned out to be more drastic than those proposed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) while it was in office. The amendments proposed now expand the range of offences for which private correspondence can be scrutinized. While now these are offences which carry more than five years' imprisonment, the latest proposal includes offences punishable by more than two years' imprisonment.
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"Troud" says Yane Yanev, leader of the Order, Lawfulness, Justice (OLJ) party, was ordered out of the parliamentary sitting after reading a statement against President Georgi Purvanov and GERB's refusal to cut one million leva from his budget. OLJ suspects GERB of collusion with Purvanov. Yanev stated that "Purvanov lacks the moral characteristics" required for his high seat. Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva said this was unacceptable conduct and sent Yanev out of the plenary hall.
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"Troud" has interviewed Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev, who says hospital accreditation will be scrapped as a condition for signing an agreement with the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). Accreditation will be done on demand by the hospitals. However, to sign an agreement with NHIF, a hospital must meet medical standards, offer specialist care round the clock and proper equipment. Nanev says the aim is to have hospitals which can really provide treatment. And because people will need to get to them, the Ministry is prioritizing the emergency medical service in terms of staff and equipment.
***
"Troud" writes that drunk drivers will be fined on the basis of two eyewitness accounts alone if a Traffic Police proposal is adopted in the new Road Traffic Act next year. All key junctions in Sofia will be supplied with CCTV cameras from January. So far this year 156,000 traffic violations have been caught on camera.
In "24 Chassa" Alexi Kessyakov, Secretary of the State and Public Commission on Traffic Safety, says about 60 people are killed by drunk drivers every year. The Traffic Police registers more than 30,000 drunk drivers a year. The problem with the permitted amount of beer or alcohol before driving is very serious because its effect varies from one person to another, and stress and depression must also be factored in.
THE ECONOMY
Parliament adopted the 2010 National Budget Act after a 17-hour debate in the small hours on Friday, the national dailies report. GERB, the Blue Coalition and Ataka voted in favour, OLJ walked out early, and the BSP and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms voted against.
"Sega" comments that amid the battles over higher taxes and excise duties on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling, the rise in the excise duties on energy, coal and heavy liquid fuels went unnoticed. Also, the income threshold for self-insured persons was raised from 260 leva to 420 leva a month. So the government, like Robin Hood, dipped deep into the pocket of gambling businesses, but did not spare other taxpayers either.
"Standart News" says the debate on the budget of the NHIF was underwhelming after the 17-hour debate on the national budget. The NHIF sets expenditures at 1,689,432,000 leva and revenues at 2,519,211,000 leva. Health insurance contributions will amount to 1,560,340,000 leva.
The BSP will challenge before the Constitutional Court a Budget Act provision allowing the Council of Ministers to cut the appropriations of all departments and municipalities in 2010, "Sega" says. The Left walked out in protest for an hour during the voting of the budget bill. An important new provision stipulates that loans of more than 10,000 leva from friends and companies must be declared from next year. Also, 100 per cent of the proceeds from privatization shown in the executive budget must go to the Silver Fund for pensions. Currently it holds 1,600 million leva.
"Troud" asks if the 2010 budget has a false bottom. While experts agree that the new government is dealing with some bad legacy, Borissov's government is making things worse. It is no secret that for years now Bulgaria has had unrealistically low revenues set in its budgets, with artificial surpluses used to finance excess spending. Some experts suspect that this is the rationale behind the 2010 budget too. However, this year there is no surplus. It turns out that the Bulgarian budget tends to have a false bottom.
In "24 Chassa" Georgi Stoev from Industry Watch analyses what he calls "missed opportunities" in the 2010 budget, including pro-reformist solutions in response to the crisis and revenue cuts. Stoev says the finance minister seems to focus on pushing up revenues, not on streamlining the expenditures of individual departments. The areas which soak up the largest amounts of public money - health care and security - are getting about 3,800 million leva without any visible change in the manner this money is spent.
"Troud" says interest rates will "fall gradually because the financial system is conservative and jolts are undesirable". The newspaper quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, emerging from a meeting with National Bank Governor Ivan Iskrov. Borissov said the central bank's Governing Board furnished evidence that financial stability in Bulgaria is guaranteed. "The banking system in Bulgaria has over 17 per cent capital adequacy, high liquidity, good indicators and enough buffers," Iskrov said.
In "Dnevnik" Krassimir Stefanov, Executive Director of the National Revenue Agency, says VAT fraud attempts are become more frequent during the ongoing crisis. Intercompany debt, the credit crunch and the companies' poorer liquidity account for the growing number of attempts to defraud the budget. The VAT-registered companies number nearly 200,000. Information exchange with the EU tax administrations shows that there is a gap of about 500 million leva between feedback from the system and the declared amounts. This leads to more frequent inspections, which triggers speculation that VAT input tax is being withheld, Stefanov explains.
"Sega" reports that the judiciary will hand out 24 million leva in bonuses. The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) did not hesitate and allowed administrative leaders to give incentives to judicial staff where economies were made. "The money was saved due to unfilled vacancies or sick leave," said SJC Budget Committee Chairman Ivan Kolev.
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 – December 4, 2009
· Bulgaria's Constitutional Court has overruled a decision that prohibits MPs who were collaborators of the State Security, the intelligence and secret police during the communist regime, to assume key posts in Parliament.
The proposal, tabled in parliament by the right-wing Blue coalition and supported by the majority of GERB party, was adopted at the end of July. It stated that MPs with state security records will not be able to head parliamentary commissions, join international delegations and be members of the interior security and defense commissions, as well as those that control the county's State Agency for National Security (DANS) and European funds.
The Constitutional Court was approached by the formerly ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and its ally the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, now in opposition, who vehemently protested against the ban.
· The proposal for ousting Bulgaria's former Labour Minister Emilia Maslarova from the post of head of the parliamentary social committee has been delayed for next week. The decision came after more than an hour of heated debates and was taken as the members of parliament ran out of time for voting on legislative activities.
Emilia Maslarova has been stripped of her immunity so that prosecutors can investigate her for embezzling a total of BGN 10 M. Members of parliament from the right-wing Blue Coalition first tabled the proposal, citing the investigation that is underway against Maslarova for large-scale embezzlement. They have been backed by the MPs from the ruling majority of the center-right GERB party and its allies.
fredag den 4. december 2009
torsdag den 3. december 2009
Bulgarian press review, December 3, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, December 3 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Loans and privatization will plug the hole in the 2010 budget," "Sega" writes on its front page. "For the first time in ten years, Parliament is adopting a budget with a deficit planned in it," the daily notes. The 1,500 million leva shortfall will be offset through domestic and external loans (671 million leva and 641 million leva, respectively) and privatization (201 million leva). "Ataka" notes in its top story that the 2010 budget plans 70 million leva extra revenues. "Pari" has relegated the news to an inside page. "24 Chassa" and "Troud" focus on the prolonged second-reading debate of the National Budget Act.
The largest credit rating agency Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on Bulgaria to "BB-stable" from "BB-negative," "Klassa" reports in its top story. "This is indicative of the success of the Government and Parliament in coping with the fiscal problem of the State," Finance Minister Simeon Djankov commented upon the second reading of the budget, quoted by the paper. Djankov
specified that several more difficult months lie ahead for the Bulgarian economy, but the Government keeps working day in, day out. "In just four months we progressed from a period of large monthly deficits, such as nearly 600 million leva for July alone, to a balanced budget for October. You will see that the results for January will be even better," he promised.
In a front-page item, "Monitor" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying after a session with President Georgi Purvanov on Wednesday that 100 million of the Defence Ministry budget were withdrawn in advance and were squandered for pre-election purposes.
"The communication between Government and President in the sphere of military affairs sets a positive precedent, but the risks are still there: an unpopular reform in home affairs is forthcoming," political scientist Vassil Garnizov writes in "Troud." Under the heading "Truce or Peace between President and Prime Minister," he singles out as good news the fact that the two realize that at a time of crisis their political confrontation can inflict severe damage on both sides. The author advises them to stop counting on a last-minute ceasefire, to abandon the policy of faits accomplis, and to design a smoother running machinery for communication in making important decisions.
"Kostov Doing What Borissov Ought Not": under this heading, a signed comment in "Sega" notes that "the Prime Minister wants to please everybody, while his main opposition friend is not at all afraid to shed blood in gruesome battle." "The relations between Boyko Borissov and Ivan Kostov have always been complicated and intricate but subservient to order and good practices of warfare. They fell out when the General [Borissov] headed the Sofia garrison but lacked an army. They made it up when the Commander [Kostov] was left without an army. The two now accomplish responsible missions in driving the Red Army out, observing rigorous boot camp discipline," the paper writes.
Bulgaria's former ambassador to Spain, Russia and Argentina Vassilii Takev is Rumiana Jeleva's probable successor as chief Bulgarian diplomat, "24 Chassa" predicts. The list of possible foreign ministers, also known as "the Smart and Handsome List," was so far topped by Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov, followed by Jeleva's other deputy Milen Lyutskanov, the daily says. Takev, who was also deputy foreign minister when the Ministry was headed by Nadezhda Mihailova, now works at the International Law Directorate of the Foreign Ministry.
* * *
Some 98 million leva in bonuses were handed out to sham tobacco growers between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007, "24 Chassa" reports. People who do not work as agricultural producers received money from the Tobacco Fund for sold tobacco and seeds. The daily says that the Sofia City Prosecution Office and the State Agency for National Security will form a joint team to investigate the violations. They reportedly are perusing 40 folders of documents, checking the names of bonus recipients against the register of tobacco growers.
* * *
"The Higher Certifying Commission, or whatever we call it, must remain as a legitimating institution," the Commission's Chairman, Prof. Alexander Fedotov, says in a "Troud" interview. "Otherwise, it is now provided that the control commission should be limited to the technical aspects of the procedures. But such technical review can be done by anybody, I don't see why the Commission should include scientists, they should rather be legal experts," he comments. He insists that if the Commission is scrapped, there should be a transitional period before its final closure because hundreds of scientists are currently in an academic degree award procedure.
"The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will not get away with a cosmetic reform," "Sega" predicts. The papers quote a poll conducted by the National Public Opinion Centre, which found that just 6 per cent of respondents categorically want the Academy to be closed down. One in five wants to see the Academy continue in its present form.
* * *
"Douma", "Zemya" and "Troud" carry an article by Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergei Stanishev entitled "For a Commissioner's Hide". According to the author, the principal mistakes made by Boyko Borissov in settling on the nomination is his insistence on the partisan approach and personal loyalty, as well as the lack of dialogue with the President of the European Commission. "Troud" runs an abridged version of the article.
"The BSP must shed the guilt syndrome," Coalition for Bulgaria MP Anton Koutev says in an interview for "Douma."
"I will take over the Left without Sergei [Stanishev] even knowing it," former Coalition for Bulgaria MP Tatyana Doncheva told a "Standart News" interviewer. "The Socialists are startled: they don't know of what they are scared," Doncheva comments.
ECONOMY
"It will be criminal if Bulgaria forfeits its participation in South Stream," Peter Kanev, adviser to the President on Black Sea Economic Cooperation, told "Troud." "In Moscow, I was given to understand that the Russian side had 'untied its hands' and can do without Bulgaria," says Kanev, back home from Russia where he attended a Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. "A project backed by the top European leaders, such as Berlusconi, Sarkozy and Merkel, is a secure project. All the more so that we have been approached by the Russian side with a new proposal: to transit over 60 billion cu m of gas annually across Bulgaria rather than 30 billion cu m-plus. This means that we will be earning several hundred million dollars a year from transit fees alone," Kanev comments. He says he would be glad if Nabucco and South Stream run parallel: then huge amounts of gas will be transited through Bulgaria and its geopolitical weight will increase.
In its top story, "Pari" writes that while the price of pulp is on the rise, Bulgaria's plants are closed. Svilosa works owner Krassimir Dachev has mortgaged all his personal properties to furnish security to creditors and obtain permission from the banks for the start of pulp production, "Troud" reports. The businessman, who until recently was Vice President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made waves in 2007 by his eccentric idea of a space flight on board the craft of Virgin Airlines owner Richard Branson.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
"In six months' time, motorists caught after drinking a glass of beer will have their driving privileges suspended," writes "Telegraf" on its front page. "A 500 leva fine and driving licence suspension will the penalty for every driver who drinks even a drop of alcohol before sitting behind the wheel," says "24 Chassa". The revisions of the Road Traffic Act, including zero tolerance of alcohol, will be introduced within six months, the Secretary of the State-cum-Public Commission on Traffic Safety Alexi Kessyakov told a seminar in Sandanski. The other contemplated amendment, inspired by US President Obama, is to fine drivers who write text messages and not just talk on their mobiles while driving. The measure against drunk driving was decided at a world meeting on road traffic safety in Moscow several weeks ago. According to the effective Bulgarian legislation, drivers found with blood alcohol content exceeding 0.05 per cent are liable to a fine of 200 to 500 leva and to a suspension of driving privileges for one month to two years.
Persons aged under 18 will be able to board a ship or a jetski only with their parents' express written consent, "Novinar" reports. Their guardians will have to sign a mandatory declaration that they do not mind their children riding the respective navigation vessel. These requirements are introduced by an ordinance regulating aquatic attraction services, adopted by the Council of Ministers. A strict regulation is introduced in order to avoid cases like the one that led to the death of 15 Bulgarians on Lake Ohrid in September, the paper notes.
"24 Chassa" has interviewed pop folk singer and TV host Azis, and "Telegraf" has talked to pop folk singer Emilia. Both interviews are occasioned by the crackdown of the National Revenue Agency on tax-evading entertainers.
The Spanish authorities are checking the origin of nearly 3 million euro which Kyril Saxe-Coburg spent on the purchase of a 125 ha property on the Island of Majorca, "El Mundo" and "Diario de Mallorca" report, quoted by "Troud" on its front page. "The son of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has thus become part of one of the most scandalous disclosures of civil servants' corruption in Spain. Kyril was reportedly linked to the affair by his wife Rosario. The couple recently announced their separation," the item 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 – December 3, 2009
· After 17 long hours with little debate and many procedural tricks, the 2010 Budget bill was adopted by MPs on the second and final reading at about 2.10am on December 3 2009. A large number of the draft bill's provisions were passed without the votes of the right-wing Order, Law and Justice (OLJ) party, whose MPs left Parliament floor after the majority rejected the party's motion for cutting the 2010 budget of the Presidency by one million leva. The leader of the conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, Yane Yanev, was even removed from the plenary hall for one parliamentary session. The decision of the Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, was based on a RZS declaration Yanev attempted to read from the parliamentary stand to protest against the refusal of Tsacheva's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party to reduce the presidential institution's budget.
The largest party in opposition, the former ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party, also refused to debate most of the draft bill's provisions. The BSP and the other opposition party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), wanted the revenue part of the Budget increased by 762 million leva and 500 million leva, respectively. However, the proposal was rejected by the ruling party GERB and the other right-wing parties supporting GERB.
· Bulgaria Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov speaking in an interview on bTV after the budget was adopted by parliament early Thursday, said that the next four months will be financially difficult for the country but after that he expects things to improve. He added that the new center-right GERB government’s anti-crisis program was obviously working, which will emerge most clearly in spring 2010.
Djankov also commented on Vasil Bozhkov, who is believed to be the richest Bulgarian (a businessman formerly widely involved in the gambling business) who recently slammed the GERB government over last Thursday’s gambling tax hike. “If the rich complain about what the government does, then the cabinet must be working well for the average Bulgarian. PM Boyko Borisov advised me never to meet with businessmen and bankers one on one and I do not do it. I did not know who the richest Bulgarian was" explained Diankov.
Sofia, December 3 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Loans and privatization will plug the hole in the 2010 budget," "Sega" writes on its front page. "For the first time in ten years, Parliament is adopting a budget with a deficit planned in it," the daily notes. The 1,500 million leva shortfall will be offset through domestic and external loans (671 million leva and 641 million leva, respectively) and privatization (201 million leva). "Ataka" notes in its top story that the 2010 budget plans 70 million leva extra revenues. "Pari" has relegated the news to an inside page. "24 Chassa" and "Troud" focus on the prolonged second-reading debate of the National Budget Act.
The largest credit rating agency Standard & Poor's revised its outlook on Bulgaria to "BB-stable" from "BB-negative," "Klassa" reports in its top story. "This is indicative of the success of the Government and Parliament in coping with the fiscal problem of the State," Finance Minister Simeon Djankov commented upon the second reading of the budget, quoted by the paper. Djankov
specified that several more difficult months lie ahead for the Bulgarian economy, but the Government keeps working day in, day out. "In just four months we progressed from a period of large monthly deficits, such as nearly 600 million leva for July alone, to a balanced budget for October. You will see that the results for January will be even better," he promised.
In a front-page item, "Monitor" quotes Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov as saying after a session with President Georgi Purvanov on Wednesday that 100 million of the Defence Ministry budget were withdrawn in advance and were squandered for pre-election purposes.
"The communication between Government and President in the sphere of military affairs sets a positive precedent, but the risks are still there: an unpopular reform in home affairs is forthcoming," political scientist Vassil Garnizov writes in "Troud." Under the heading "Truce or Peace between President and Prime Minister," he singles out as good news the fact that the two realize that at a time of crisis their political confrontation can inflict severe damage on both sides. The author advises them to stop counting on a last-minute ceasefire, to abandon the policy of faits accomplis, and to design a smoother running machinery for communication in making important decisions.
"Kostov Doing What Borissov Ought Not": under this heading, a signed comment in "Sega" notes that "the Prime Minister wants to please everybody, while his main opposition friend is not at all afraid to shed blood in gruesome battle." "The relations between Boyko Borissov and Ivan Kostov have always been complicated and intricate but subservient to order and good practices of warfare. They fell out when the General [Borissov] headed the Sofia garrison but lacked an army. They made it up when the Commander [Kostov] was left without an army. The two now accomplish responsible missions in driving the Red Army out, observing rigorous boot camp discipline," the paper writes.
Bulgaria's former ambassador to Spain, Russia and Argentina Vassilii Takev is Rumiana Jeleva's probable successor as chief Bulgarian diplomat, "24 Chassa" predicts. The list of possible foreign ministers, also known as "the Smart and Handsome List," was so far topped by Deputy Foreign Minister Marin Raykov, followed by Jeleva's other deputy Milen Lyutskanov, the daily says. Takev, who was also deputy foreign minister when the Ministry was headed by Nadezhda Mihailova, now works at the International Law Directorate of the Foreign Ministry.
* * *
Some 98 million leva in bonuses were handed out to sham tobacco growers between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007, "24 Chassa" reports. People who do not work as agricultural producers received money from the Tobacco Fund for sold tobacco and seeds. The daily says that the Sofia City Prosecution Office and the State Agency for National Security will form a joint team to investigate the violations. They reportedly are perusing 40 folders of documents, checking the names of bonus recipients against the register of tobacco growers.
* * *
"The Higher Certifying Commission, or whatever we call it, must remain as a legitimating institution," the Commission's Chairman, Prof. Alexander Fedotov, says in a "Troud" interview. "Otherwise, it is now provided that the control commission should be limited to the technical aspects of the procedures. But such technical review can be done by anybody, I don't see why the Commission should include scientists, they should rather be legal experts," he comments. He insists that if the Commission is scrapped, there should be a transitional period before its final closure because hundreds of scientists are currently in an academic degree award procedure.
"The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will not get away with a cosmetic reform," "Sega" predicts. The papers quote a poll conducted by the National Public Opinion Centre, which found that just 6 per cent of respondents categorically want the Academy to be closed down. One in five wants to see the Academy continue in its present form.
* * *
"Douma", "Zemya" and "Troud" carry an article by Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) leader Sergei Stanishev entitled "For a Commissioner's Hide". According to the author, the principal mistakes made by Boyko Borissov in settling on the nomination is his insistence on the partisan approach and personal loyalty, as well as the lack of dialogue with the President of the European Commission. "Troud" runs an abridged version of the article.
"The BSP must shed the guilt syndrome," Coalition for Bulgaria MP Anton Koutev says in an interview for "Douma."
"I will take over the Left without Sergei [Stanishev] even knowing it," former Coalition for Bulgaria MP Tatyana Doncheva told a "Standart News" interviewer. "The Socialists are startled: they don't know of what they are scared," Doncheva comments.
ECONOMY
"It will be criminal if Bulgaria forfeits its participation in South Stream," Peter Kanev, adviser to the President on Black Sea Economic Cooperation, told "Troud." "In Moscow, I was given to understand that the Russian side had 'untied its hands' and can do without Bulgaria," says Kanev, back home from Russia where he attended a Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. "A project backed by the top European leaders, such as Berlusconi, Sarkozy and Merkel, is a secure project. All the more so that we have been approached by the Russian side with a new proposal: to transit over 60 billion cu m of gas annually across Bulgaria rather than 30 billion cu m-plus. This means that we will be earning several hundred million dollars a year from transit fees alone," Kanev comments. He says he would be glad if Nabucco and South Stream run parallel: then huge amounts of gas will be transited through Bulgaria and its geopolitical weight will increase.
In its top story, "Pari" writes that while the price of pulp is on the rise, Bulgaria's plants are closed. Svilosa works owner Krassimir Dachev has mortgaged all his personal properties to furnish security to creditors and obtain permission from the banks for the start of pulp production, "Troud" reports. The businessman, who until recently was Vice President of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, made waves in 2007 by his eccentric idea of a space flight on board the craft of Virgin Airlines owner Richard Branson.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
"In six months' time, motorists caught after drinking a glass of beer will have their driving privileges suspended," writes "Telegraf" on its front page. "A 500 leva fine and driving licence suspension will the penalty for every driver who drinks even a drop of alcohol before sitting behind the wheel," says "24 Chassa". The revisions of the Road Traffic Act, including zero tolerance of alcohol, will be introduced within six months, the Secretary of the State-cum-Public Commission on Traffic Safety Alexi Kessyakov told a seminar in Sandanski. The other contemplated amendment, inspired by US President Obama, is to fine drivers who write text messages and not just talk on their mobiles while driving. The measure against drunk driving was decided at a world meeting on road traffic safety in Moscow several weeks ago. According to the effective Bulgarian legislation, drivers found with blood alcohol content exceeding 0.05 per cent are liable to a fine of 200 to 500 leva and to a suspension of driving privileges for one month to two years.
Persons aged under 18 will be able to board a ship or a jetski only with their parents' express written consent, "Novinar" reports. Their guardians will have to sign a mandatory declaration that they do not mind their children riding the respective navigation vessel. These requirements are introduced by an ordinance regulating aquatic attraction services, adopted by the Council of Ministers. A strict regulation is introduced in order to avoid cases like the one that led to the death of 15 Bulgarians on Lake Ohrid in September, the paper notes.
"24 Chassa" has interviewed pop folk singer and TV host Azis, and "Telegraf" has talked to pop folk singer Emilia. Both interviews are occasioned by the crackdown of the National Revenue Agency on tax-evading entertainers.
The Spanish authorities are checking the origin of nearly 3 million euro which Kyril Saxe-Coburg spent on the purchase of a 125 ha property on the Island of Majorca, "El Mundo" and "Diario de Mallorca" report, quoted by "Troud" on its front page. "The son of Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha has thus become part of one of the most scandalous disclosures of civil servants' corruption in Spain. Kyril was reportedly linked to the affair by his wife Rosario. The couple recently announced their separation," the item 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 – December 3, 2009
· After 17 long hours with little debate and many procedural tricks, the 2010 Budget bill was adopted by MPs on the second and final reading at about 2.10am on December 3 2009. A large number of the draft bill's provisions were passed without the votes of the right-wing Order, Law and Justice (OLJ) party, whose MPs left Parliament floor after the majority rejected the party's motion for cutting the 2010 budget of the Presidency by one million leva. The leader of the conservative Order, Law and Justice (RZS) party, Yane Yanev, was even removed from the plenary hall for one parliamentary session. The decision of the Speaker, Tsetska Tsacheva, was based on a RZS declaration Yanev attempted to read from the parliamentary stand to protest against the refusal of Tsacheva's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party to reduce the presidential institution's budget.
The largest party in opposition, the former ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party, also refused to debate most of the draft bill's provisions. The BSP and the other opposition party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), wanted the revenue part of the Budget increased by 762 million leva and 500 million leva, respectively. However, the proposal was rejected by the ruling party GERB and the other right-wing parties supporting GERB.
· Bulgaria Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov speaking in an interview on bTV after the budget was adopted by parliament early Thursday, said that the next four months will be financially difficult for the country but after that he expects things to improve. He added that the new center-right GERB government’s anti-crisis program was obviously working, which will emerge most clearly in spring 2010.
Djankov also commented on Vasil Bozhkov, who is believed to be the richest Bulgarian (a businessman formerly widely involved in the gambling business) who recently slammed the GERB government over last Thursday’s gambling tax hike. “If the rich complain about what the government does, then the cabinet must be working well for the average Bulgarian. PM Boyko Borisov advised me never to meet with businessmen and bankers one on one and I do not do it. I did not know who the richest Bulgarian was" explained Diankov.
onsdag den 2. december 2009
Bulgarian press review, December 2, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, December 2 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"The Big Reconciliation - Episode 2" headlines a front-page story in "Troud" on the Tuesday meeting of President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva. The meeting was prompted by amendments in the tax legislation which, among other things, scrapped a tax relief for young families. But that was before the Prime Minister intervened and said these should be kept, and before the President said he might veto the law unles Parliament change its mind.
The paper also quotes the President as saying at a joint briefing the three held after the meeting, that he would decree the recall of the Bulgarian Ambassadors to the US and Turkey later on Tueaday or Wednesday at the latest.
The government and the President's office have been at odds over the ambassadorial recall since Purvanov refused to endorse a governmenet proposal to replace the two diplomats over irregularities in voting in Turkey and in the US during the July 5 Bulgarian general elections.
Prime Minister Borissov is quoted as saying that the meeting sent a very important message - that the state institutions in Bulgaria work in harmony.
***
In a "Monitor" interview ("I Believe We Will See Convictions against Ex-Ministers"), Parliamentdeputy leader Luchezar Ivanov (GERB) says that the current Parliament is doing well in law-making and has enough bills to work on. A total of 115 bills have entered Parliament between the start of its term in August and December 1, and 49 of these are now being considered. He said that the main difference between this and the last Parliament is that this one prioritizes the quality of laws rather than their quantity.
***
In a "Troud" interview, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) deputy leader Kassim Dal says that GERB were unprepared for the kind of victory they won at the July general elections and entered politics unprepared. "See the Council of Ministers: they say one thing in the morning and another thing in the afternoon, and a totally different decision is made the next day! It speaks of a lack of experience, of incompetence. Unfortunately, you see that in Parliament everything follows the Prime Minister's dictate. We have never had a Parliament with so little character." Dal says though that it is early days to assess the performance of the new power-holders.
The interview is entitled "[Ivan] Kostov Does the Dirty Work for Borissov" and is prompted by the commencement of new checks into the assets of MRF leader Ahmed Dogan.
Dal denies any agreement between his party and GERB.
In a "24 Chassa" interview, MRF's other deputy leader, Lyutvi Mestan, says that a GERB-MRF thaw is "an overly bold hypothetical". He says it is questionable whether GERB's high approval ratings mean confidence or hope.
***
Political and social scientists from a "Troud" analysis group run a commentary on the government's work after its first 100 days in office. Entitled "Hefty Ambitions, Less Work", it says
that the days after the first 100 were dominated by high public approval and the first expressions of organized criticism. The opposition made its first serious remarks. There was over-ambition in the exercise of power and much less efficient work. More wrongdoings by the previous power-holders continued to be revealed. The attitude to the partners in the Right wing shows a no-compromise policy. The personal presence and actions of Prime Minister Borissov are presented as a last instance on all political matters. The minority government is effectively acquiring the makeup of a majority government, say the analysts.
***
"Sega" runs a commentary on the election of leaders by the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) under the headline "New Party Leaders with Old Luck". "Two parties, both with a place in the most recent Bulgarian history, woke up with new leaders at the start of this week. The problem both for UDF and NMSS is that their parties are like a fenceless yard where no trace has remained of a shared idea, shared rules which everybody obeys, and a shared vision. In NMSS, two camps stood out at the confress [Е] One is pulling to the Right and demonstrate independence and the other are diligent feudals who bow low to the King [Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha] and prefer the Liberal niche. NMSS will probably disappear but they will stay. At UDF, the situation is dramatic. Martin Dimitrov actually won slightly over a third of the members' votes but the resource this gives him is not enough to consolidate the party - and consolidation is the first pre-condition for having some development", says the author.
***
"Troud" reports the arrest of four men responsible for blackmailing the former chief of the Civil Protection service, Gen. Nikola Nikolov ("Roma Gang Blackmail General for EUR 250,000"). The four allegedly threatened the general to say that Roma businessmen have been paying him to win public procurement deals for disaster relief work.
ECONOMY
In the commentary column of "Troud" (""Big Promises Lead to Disappointment), former trade minister Valentin Vassilev (in Ivan Kostov's government) says that the Bulgarian economy will contract by at least 3.5 per cent next year rather than by the 2 per cent the government expects. He also believes that after some stability in summer, in late 2010 unemployment will cross the 15 per cent mark. This will be the result of a shortage of financial resources for a quick exit from the crisis. Another reason is the shape of the global economy which is taking longer than expected to recover. Furthermore, the Bulgarian economy has an unfavourable structure: we donТt see any of the sectors that could pull it up. "The big promises for fast end of the crisis usually result in big disappointment, followed by social tension and political instability, and this is not in Bulgaria's interest," Vassilev says.
***
"If lawyers were impressionists and [Finance Minister Simeon] Djankov knew about social insurance, he would have known that hiking the contributory income minimum for the self-insured to 420 leva from 260 leva would inflate the shadow economy," says a "24 Chassa" analysis. "The vast majority of those who pay their own social insurance, live on the verge of the social minimum but are trying hard to manage on their own. They donТt register as unemployed or socially disadvantaged to depend on the rest of tax-payers, or go in the shadow economy. Having wholeheartedly defended the people 'who work their vineyard', the Prime Minister now should take care of the thousands of small craftsmen and self-employed people," the story says.
***
According to "Sega", the government "barely finds money for welfare and wages". An investigation by this paper found that the government has a serious problem making regularly the due payments for welfare, child benefits and wages. "For the second time since this government took over, welfare payments, child benefits and integration aid for the disabled did not come on time. This caused tension in some parts of the country."
***
"Novinar" reports that under a new medical insurance model only working people's medical insurance can go into a private medical insurance fund. The new model was presented by Parliament deputy chair and head of the parliamentary health commission Luchezar Ivanov at a round table in Parliament. In 2011 all people with medical insurance will be required to make additional insurance and the insurance contribution will be raised to 10 per cent from 8 per cent. Once the new model is set in place, there will be one basic package which will be covered by the National Health Insurance Fund, and a second package which will be additional and which will be covered by an insurer of the insured person's choice.
"Dnevnik", too, has a front-page story on that entitled "Health Care Reform Takes Big Turn". It notes that the strategy presented by Luchezar Ivanov is much departed from one unveiled earlier by Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev. In Nanev's strategy, private funds were able to compete with the National Health Insurance Fund and between themselves for the contributions of all insured persons, including children, pensioners and disabled people, among others whose health insurance is paid for by the government.
***
"Troud" writes that electricity supplier CEZ is waging a large-scale war on the energy regulator. The regulator's chief, Angel Semerdjiev, said Tuesday that all of the regulator's decisions are being challenged in court. At the same time the opetator's relations with its clients have soured. "When we have a critical mass of violations, revoking the operator's licence could become an option," says Semerdjiev.
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 – December 2, 2009
· Nikolay Kokinov, the Sofia Chief Prosecutor, has announced that formal charges have been brought against Tsvetelin Kanchev, leader of the Euroroma union. He will be kept in custody for 72 hours. Together with Kanchev, four other detainees, including Roma leader Hristo Varbanov-Papata (the Pope), have also been charged. All five had been arrested on Tuesday, following a tip-off to the police by Nikolay Nikolov, former head of Bulgaria’s Civil Defense Directorate, that he was being blackmailed for EUR 250 000. Earlier on Wednesday, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the Interior Minister, had announced that Nikolov had become the target of blackmail to avoid his being incriminated in criminal breach of trust. Tsvetanov explained that Roma leader Tsvetelin Kanchev was present at one of the meetings between Nikolay Nikolov, and the group of Roma persons who were blackmailing him.
Sofia, December 2 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"The Big Reconciliation - Episode 2" headlines a front-page story in "Troud" on the Tuesday meeting of President Georgi Purvanov, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Parliament Chair Tsetska Tsacheva. The meeting was prompted by amendments in the tax legislation which, among other things, scrapped a tax relief for young families. But that was before the Prime Minister intervened and said these should be kept, and before the President said he might veto the law unles Parliament change its mind.
The paper also quotes the President as saying at a joint briefing the three held after the meeting, that he would decree the recall of the Bulgarian Ambassadors to the US and Turkey later on Tueaday or Wednesday at the latest.
The government and the President's office have been at odds over the ambassadorial recall since Purvanov refused to endorse a governmenet proposal to replace the two diplomats over irregularities in voting in Turkey and in the US during the July 5 Bulgarian general elections.
Prime Minister Borissov is quoted as saying that the meeting sent a very important message - that the state institutions in Bulgaria work in harmony.
***
In a "Monitor" interview ("I Believe We Will See Convictions against Ex-Ministers"), Parliamentdeputy leader Luchezar Ivanov (GERB) says that the current Parliament is doing well in law-making and has enough bills to work on. A total of 115 bills have entered Parliament between the start of its term in August and December 1, and 49 of these are now being considered. He said that the main difference between this and the last Parliament is that this one prioritizes the quality of laws rather than their quantity.
***
In a "Troud" interview, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) deputy leader Kassim Dal says that GERB were unprepared for the kind of victory they won at the July general elections and entered politics unprepared. "See the Council of Ministers: they say one thing in the morning and another thing in the afternoon, and a totally different decision is made the next day! It speaks of a lack of experience, of incompetence. Unfortunately, you see that in Parliament everything follows the Prime Minister's dictate. We have never had a Parliament with so little character." Dal says though that it is early days to assess the performance of the new power-holders.
The interview is entitled "[Ivan] Kostov Does the Dirty Work for Borissov" and is prompted by the commencement of new checks into the assets of MRF leader Ahmed Dogan.
Dal denies any agreement between his party and GERB.
In a "24 Chassa" interview, MRF's other deputy leader, Lyutvi Mestan, says that a GERB-MRF thaw is "an overly bold hypothetical". He says it is questionable whether GERB's high approval ratings mean confidence or hope.
***
Political and social scientists from a "Troud" analysis group run a commentary on the government's work after its first 100 days in office. Entitled "Hefty Ambitions, Less Work", it says
that the days after the first 100 were dominated by high public approval and the first expressions of organized criticism. The opposition made its first serious remarks. There was over-ambition in the exercise of power and much less efficient work. More wrongdoings by the previous power-holders continued to be revealed. The attitude to the partners in the Right wing shows a no-compromise policy. The personal presence and actions of Prime Minister Borissov are presented as a last instance on all political matters. The minority government is effectively acquiring the makeup of a majority government, say the analysts.
***
"Sega" runs a commentary on the election of leaders by the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) under the headline "New Party Leaders with Old Luck". "Two parties, both with a place in the most recent Bulgarian history, woke up with new leaders at the start of this week. The problem both for UDF and NMSS is that their parties are like a fenceless yard where no trace has remained of a shared idea, shared rules which everybody obeys, and a shared vision. In NMSS, two camps stood out at the confress [Е] One is pulling to the Right and demonstrate independence and the other are diligent feudals who bow low to the King [Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha] and prefer the Liberal niche. NMSS will probably disappear but they will stay. At UDF, the situation is dramatic. Martin Dimitrov actually won slightly over a third of the members' votes but the resource this gives him is not enough to consolidate the party - and consolidation is the first pre-condition for having some development", says the author.
***
"Troud" reports the arrest of four men responsible for blackmailing the former chief of the Civil Protection service, Gen. Nikola Nikolov ("Roma Gang Blackmail General for EUR 250,000"). The four allegedly threatened the general to say that Roma businessmen have been paying him to win public procurement deals for disaster relief work.
ECONOMY
In the commentary column of "Troud" (""Big Promises Lead to Disappointment), former trade minister Valentin Vassilev (in Ivan Kostov's government) says that the Bulgarian economy will contract by at least 3.5 per cent next year rather than by the 2 per cent the government expects. He also believes that after some stability in summer, in late 2010 unemployment will cross the 15 per cent mark. This will be the result of a shortage of financial resources for a quick exit from the crisis. Another reason is the shape of the global economy which is taking longer than expected to recover. Furthermore, the Bulgarian economy has an unfavourable structure: we donТt see any of the sectors that could pull it up. "The big promises for fast end of the crisis usually result in big disappointment, followed by social tension and political instability, and this is not in Bulgaria's interest," Vassilev says.
***
"If lawyers were impressionists and [Finance Minister Simeon] Djankov knew about social insurance, he would have known that hiking the contributory income minimum for the self-insured to 420 leva from 260 leva would inflate the shadow economy," says a "24 Chassa" analysis. "The vast majority of those who pay their own social insurance, live on the verge of the social minimum but are trying hard to manage on their own. They donТt register as unemployed or socially disadvantaged to depend on the rest of tax-payers, or go in the shadow economy. Having wholeheartedly defended the people 'who work their vineyard', the Prime Minister now should take care of the thousands of small craftsmen and self-employed people," the story says.
***
According to "Sega", the government "barely finds money for welfare and wages". An investigation by this paper found that the government has a serious problem making regularly the due payments for welfare, child benefits and wages. "For the second time since this government took over, welfare payments, child benefits and integration aid for the disabled did not come on time. This caused tension in some parts of the country."
***
"Novinar" reports that under a new medical insurance model only working people's medical insurance can go into a private medical insurance fund. The new model was presented by Parliament deputy chair and head of the parliamentary health commission Luchezar Ivanov at a round table in Parliament. In 2011 all people with medical insurance will be required to make additional insurance and the insurance contribution will be raised to 10 per cent from 8 per cent. Once the new model is set in place, there will be one basic package which will be covered by the National Health Insurance Fund, and a second package which will be additional and which will be covered by an insurer of the insured person's choice.
"Dnevnik", too, has a front-page story on that entitled "Health Care Reform Takes Big Turn". It notes that the strategy presented by Luchezar Ivanov is much departed from one unveiled earlier by Health Minister Bozhidar Nanev. In Nanev's strategy, private funds were able to compete with the National Health Insurance Fund and between themselves for the contributions of all insured persons, including children, pensioners and disabled people, among others whose health insurance is paid for by the government.
***
"Troud" writes that electricity supplier CEZ is waging a large-scale war on the energy regulator. The regulator's chief, Angel Semerdjiev, said Tuesday that all of the regulator's decisions are being challenged in court. At the same time the opetator's relations with its clients have soured. "When we have a critical mass of violations, revoking the operator's licence could become an option," says Semerdjiev.
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 – December 2, 2009
· Nikolay Kokinov, the Sofia Chief Prosecutor, has announced that formal charges have been brought against Tsvetelin Kanchev, leader of the Euroroma union. He will be kept in custody for 72 hours. Together with Kanchev, four other detainees, including Roma leader Hristo Varbanov-Papata (the Pope), have also been charged. All five had been arrested on Tuesday, following a tip-off to the police by Nikolay Nikolov, former head of Bulgaria’s Civil Defense Directorate, that he was being blackmailed for EUR 250 000. Earlier on Wednesday, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, the Interior Minister, had announced that Nikolov had become the target of blackmail to avoid his being incriminated in criminal breach of trust. Tsvetanov explained that Roma leader Tsvetelin Kanchev was present at one of the meetings between Nikolay Nikolov, and the group of Roma persons who were blackmailing him.
mandag den 30. november 2009
Bulgarian press review, November 30, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, November 30 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Troud" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that he would miss former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [2001-2005] after his exit on Saturday from politics. In an interview on the national radio, Borissov said that he felt regret over the lack of political class in Bulgaria and the fact that Coburg-Gotha with his wisdom was leaving politics. Borissov went on to say that Coburg-Gotha could be a role model for politicians like himself who are prone to act rashly. Coburg-Gotha gave up his leadership of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) after Hristina Hristova succeeded him at the NMSS helm at an extraordinary congress.
***
"Troud" caps "Martin Dimitrov Leads in UDF Leadership Race". According to estimates of the headquarters of the Union of Democratic Forces based on a third of counted votes 67 per cent were for Dimitrov. The second place was contested by Lyuben Petrov and Roumen Hristov. Some 11,338 UDF members voted for a UDF leader and seven deputies.
***
In an interview for "24 Chassa", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says the NMSS may nominate Meglena Kuneva's for president. Hristova specifies that this is her personal opinion as no talks have been held on Kuneva's bid. The new NMSS leader thinks that against the backdrop of rising political hatred people would soon start to look for tolerance, pragmatism and stability in the movement politics. The NMSS is an out-of-parliament opposition force, and their future partners would be sought among centre-right parties. Local chapters called on the movement to distance itself from its former coalition partners, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedom.
***
"Standart News" runs a comment in which the National Movement for Surge and Stability and the Union of Democratic Forces are called "dying swans". The author says that both parties have shipwrecked because of the same reason: "they abused the trust of people who believed in their ideals". They got involved in dubious practices and lost their moral compass. Today the smoke-filled landscape in the NMSS and the UDF is littered with political corpses and lurking pillagers. However, no new charismatic leaders are in sight, nor any inspiring messages which would bring them to life. The sad stories of the UDF and the NMSS could teach other major players, GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, a lesson: that Bulgarians are quick to trust and even quicker to get disappointed."
***
In an interview for "Standart News", Environment Minister Nona Karadjova says that revenues from sales of toll stickers will be used to clean areas adjacent to roads. Karadjova confirms that court action against Bulgaria in the area of environment has been taken after alerts by non-governmental organizations. NGOs have even attempted to block projects which are environmentally safe.
***
In an interview for "Sega", MP Hassan Ademov of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) says that hospitals in MRF-dominated regions may be intentionally put at disadvantage. Ademov highlights the fact that some amendments to existing laws centralize health insurance, while others liberalize it. In 2010, the Health Insurance Fund (NHF) will not pay hospitals under clinical pathways for which no full-time specialists are employed. Many hospitals won't be working with the NHF and will be driven out of the market, warns Ademov.
***
In an interview for "Troud" ("Why Would Media Give out Sentences"), former labour minister Emilia Maslarova says that she has always strived for integrity in her work. She is categorical that allegations of embezzlement against her are unfair. Maslarova raises the question since when the Internet forums have replaced the judiciary. "When a power gives out sentences in the media and through Internet forums, this means that it is powerless and it is trying to crush its opponents not with facts, but by innuendos," says Maslarova.
ECONOMY
In a comment for "Troud", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says that the budget will burden financially the young families. On the surface social expenditures in the 2010 budget have been increased (by 4.7 percentage points) and are declared a priority. Based on this fact and the fact that for the first time a budget sets 42 per cent of GDP for social spending, the budget has to be the most social of all budgets. But when you look deeper at how social expenditures are broken down, it turns out that the burden will fall on the most vulnerable groups: young families, the unemployed and people with disabilities.
***
"Troud" reports that banks will have to inform customers in a letter of any changes in interest rates on consumer loans under a bill tabled in Parliament. Once adopted, penal interest rates in case loans are cleared prematurely, sometimes reaching as high as 5 per cent, will become history. In the future they will not exceed 1 per cent, and if the interest rate is variable, no compensation will be due. Consumer loans in Bulgaria total 1,017 million leva.
***
"Sega" writes that low interest rates will not just happen. The article points that quick, easy and popular decisions do not work where interest rates are concerned. Daring reforms are needed which will bring Bulgaria closer to the Eurozone, which will sustain stability, increase trust, and make the country more attractive to investors. The stable budget is already bearing fruit and rates are no longer growing. In order to achieve positive results more reforms should be undertaken.
***
In a "Monitor" interview, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova vows not to raise municipal taxes. Fandakova is aware that the crisis is affecting families worst. The municipality will do its best to balance and improve compliance rates. It will also rely on external funding under operational programmes.
***
"Douma" reports that the National Association of Municipalities calls for a tax on uncultivated land to promote land consolidation and to develop a European type of agriculture. The Association says that uncultivated land in Bulgaria exceeds 550,000 ha. If a tax is levied on uncultivated land, owners will want to sell it, which will invigorate the land market.
BULGARIA-EU
In an interview for "Telegraf", Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva says that her portfolio is recognition for Bulgaria. She underscores that her portfolio is very important as disasters strike all the time all over the world. Jeleva says that she is pleased that she will report to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. She says that Bulgaria has managed to carve for itself a very influential portfolio.
***
"24 Chassa" carries an analysis (So Saving People in Trouble Is Bad, Huh?) on the disappointment among certain groups over the portfolio Bulgarian EU Commissioner Rumiana Jeleva was offered [International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response]. The author recalls that in 2008 the European Commission spent nearly 1,000 million euro in 60 countries worldwide on crisis response. It is clear that this portfolio is extremely important as the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force, sets out humanitarian aid as an independent policy. Taking into consideration the portfolio nature, its objectives and the huge funds set aside, all opinions which try to detract from it are foolish, ill-informed and do not respect human life.
***
"Sega" front-pages that EU member states will be able to seize assets in Bulgaria under an initiative for mutual recognition and execution of confiscation orders of the Council of the European Union.
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 – November 30, 2009
· University student Roumen Gouninski, who was kidnapped on October 19 2009, was released late on November 29, the Interior Ministry said. He was released by his kidnappers near the town of Elin Pelin just outside Sofia.
Gouninski was in good physical condition but in a bad psychological state given the time he had spent with kidnappers, Interior Ministry chief commissioner Klain Georgiev told private bTV on November 30 2009.
Both Georgiev and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov refused to comment on whether Gouninski's father had paid a ransom to release his son amid speculation that 500 000 leva had been given to the kidnappers.
According to Tsvetanov, investigations were still underway and giving such information would only undermine police efforts to find the kidnappers. However, he said, the circumstances surrounding Gouninski's release bore similarities to various unsolved kidnappings over the past two years. This could suggest that the kidnappers were the same people, he said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the father of Gouninski denied having paid a ransom to his son's kidnappers. Gouninski Jr. said he was well and was glad that everything was over. He added that the kidnappers treated him well.
· Actress and model Dessy Zidarova was viciously beaten by two men at around 9pm on November 29 2009 in Sofia's Lozenets borough, police said. She sustained serious leg injuries in the attack and was subsequently admitted to hospital. Her life is not said to be in any danger. She was attacked while leaving her beauty salon together with a male employee who also injured while trying to help her.
Zidarova's colleague, however, only sustained mild injuries and was discharged by doctors. According to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, this suggested that the brutal attack was aimed directly at Zidarova.
· An earthquake measuring about 3.5-3.7 by Richter scale has been registered in the country at 7.48 am on Monday, the Civil Protection press office announced. The epicenter of the jolt was located some 430 km northeastern from the capital Sofia. The tremor was probably felt in some towns and villages in Dobrich and Varna district.
Sofia, November 30 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Troud" quotes Prime Minister Boyko Borissov as saying that he would miss former Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha [2001-2005] after his exit on Saturday from politics. In an interview on the national radio, Borissov said that he felt regret over the lack of political class in Bulgaria and the fact that Coburg-Gotha with his wisdom was leaving politics. Borissov went on to say that Coburg-Gotha could be a role model for politicians like himself who are prone to act rashly. Coburg-Gotha gave up his leadership of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS) after Hristina Hristova succeeded him at the NMSS helm at an extraordinary congress.
***
"Troud" caps "Martin Dimitrov Leads in UDF Leadership Race". According to estimates of the headquarters of the Union of Democratic Forces based on a third of counted votes 67 per cent were for Dimitrov. The second place was contested by Lyuben Petrov and Roumen Hristov. Some 11,338 UDF members voted for a UDF leader and seven deputies.
***
In an interview for "24 Chassa", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says the NMSS may nominate Meglena Kuneva's for president. Hristova specifies that this is her personal opinion as no talks have been held on Kuneva's bid. The new NMSS leader thinks that against the backdrop of rising political hatred people would soon start to look for tolerance, pragmatism and stability in the movement politics. The NMSS is an out-of-parliament opposition force, and their future partners would be sought among centre-right parties. Local chapters called on the movement to distance itself from its former coalition partners, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedom.
***
"Standart News" runs a comment in which the National Movement for Surge and Stability and the Union of Democratic Forces are called "dying swans". The author says that both parties have shipwrecked because of the same reason: "they abused the trust of people who believed in their ideals". They got involved in dubious practices and lost their moral compass. Today the smoke-filled landscape in the NMSS and the UDF is littered with political corpses and lurking pillagers. However, no new charismatic leaders are in sight, nor any inspiring messages which would bring them to life. The sad stories of the UDF and the NMSS could teach other major players, GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, a lesson: that Bulgarians are quick to trust and even quicker to get disappointed."
***
In an interview for "Standart News", Environment Minister Nona Karadjova says that revenues from sales of toll stickers will be used to clean areas adjacent to roads. Karadjova confirms that court action against Bulgaria in the area of environment has been taken after alerts by non-governmental organizations. NGOs have even attempted to block projects which are environmentally safe.
***
In an interview for "Sega", MP Hassan Ademov of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) says that hospitals in MRF-dominated regions may be intentionally put at disadvantage. Ademov highlights the fact that some amendments to existing laws centralize health insurance, while others liberalize it. In 2010, the Health Insurance Fund (NHF) will not pay hospitals under clinical pathways for which no full-time specialists are employed. Many hospitals won't be working with the NHF and will be driven out of the market, warns Ademov.
***
In an interview for "Troud" ("Why Would Media Give out Sentences"), former labour minister Emilia Maslarova says that she has always strived for integrity in her work. She is categorical that allegations of embezzlement against her are unfair. Maslarova raises the question since when the Internet forums have replaced the judiciary. "When a power gives out sentences in the media and through Internet forums, this means that it is powerless and it is trying to crush its opponents not with facts, but by innuendos," says Maslarova.
ECONOMY
In a comment for "Troud", NMSS leader Hristina Hristova says that the budget will burden financially the young families. On the surface social expenditures in the 2010 budget have been increased (by 4.7 percentage points) and are declared a priority. Based on this fact and the fact that for the first time a budget sets 42 per cent of GDP for social spending, the budget has to be the most social of all budgets. But when you look deeper at how social expenditures are broken down, it turns out that the burden will fall on the most vulnerable groups: young families, the unemployed and people with disabilities.
***
"Troud" reports that banks will have to inform customers in a letter of any changes in interest rates on consumer loans under a bill tabled in Parliament. Once adopted, penal interest rates in case loans are cleared prematurely, sometimes reaching as high as 5 per cent, will become history. In the future they will not exceed 1 per cent, and if the interest rate is variable, no compensation will be due. Consumer loans in Bulgaria total 1,017 million leva.
***
"Sega" writes that low interest rates will not just happen. The article points that quick, easy and popular decisions do not work where interest rates are concerned. Daring reforms are needed which will bring Bulgaria closer to the Eurozone, which will sustain stability, increase trust, and make the country more attractive to investors. The stable budget is already bearing fruit and rates are no longer growing. In order to achieve positive results more reforms should be undertaken.
***
In a "Monitor" interview, Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova vows not to raise municipal taxes. Fandakova is aware that the crisis is affecting families worst. The municipality will do its best to balance and improve compliance rates. It will also rely on external funding under operational programmes.
***
"Douma" reports that the National Association of Municipalities calls for a tax on uncultivated land to promote land consolidation and to develop a European type of agriculture. The Association says that uncultivated land in Bulgaria exceeds 550,000 ha. If a tax is levied on uncultivated land, owners will want to sell it, which will invigorate the land market.
BULGARIA-EU
In an interview for "Telegraf", Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva says that her portfolio is recognition for Bulgaria. She underscores that her portfolio is very important as disasters strike all the time all over the world. Jeleva says that she is pleased that she will report to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. She says that Bulgaria has managed to carve for itself a very influential portfolio.
***
"24 Chassa" carries an analysis (So Saving People in Trouble Is Bad, Huh?) on the disappointment among certain groups over the portfolio Bulgarian EU Commissioner Rumiana Jeleva was offered [International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response]. The author recalls that in 2008 the European Commission spent nearly 1,000 million euro in 60 countries worldwide on crisis response. It is clear that this portfolio is extremely important as the Lisbon Treaty, which comes into force, sets out humanitarian aid as an independent policy. Taking into consideration the portfolio nature, its objectives and the huge funds set aside, all opinions which try to detract from it are foolish, ill-informed and do not respect human life.
***
"Sega" front-pages that EU member states will be able to seize assets in Bulgaria under an initiative for mutual recognition and execution of confiscation orders of the Council of the European Union.
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 – November 30, 2009
· University student Roumen Gouninski, who was kidnapped on October 19 2009, was released late on November 29, the Interior Ministry said. He was released by his kidnappers near the town of Elin Pelin just outside Sofia.
Gouninski was in good physical condition but in a bad psychological state given the time he had spent with kidnappers, Interior Ministry chief commissioner Klain Georgiev told private bTV on November 30 2009.
Both Georgiev and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov refused to comment on whether Gouninski's father had paid a ransom to release his son amid speculation that 500 000 leva had been given to the kidnappers.
According to Tsvetanov, investigations were still underway and giving such information would only undermine police efforts to find the kidnappers. However, he said, the circumstances surrounding Gouninski's release bore similarities to various unsolved kidnappings over the past two years. This could suggest that the kidnappers were the same people, he said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, the father of Gouninski denied having paid a ransom to his son's kidnappers. Gouninski Jr. said he was well and was glad that everything was over. He added that the kidnappers treated him well.
· Actress and model Dessy Zidarova was viciously beaten by two men at around 9pm on November 29 2009 in Sofia's Lozenets borough, police said. She sustained serious leg injuries in the attack and was subsequently admitted to hospital. Her life is not said to be in any danger. She was attacked while leaving her beauty salon together with a male employee who also injured while trying to help her.
Zidarova's colleague, however, only sustained mild injuries and was discharged by doctors. According to Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, this suggested that the brutal attack was aimed directly at Zidarova.
· An earthquake measuring about 3.5-3.7 by Richter scale has been registered in the country at 7.48 am on Monday, the Civil Protection press office announced. The epicenter of the jolt was located some 430 km northeastern from the capital Sofia. The tremor was probably felt in some towns and villages in Dobrich and Varna district.
lørdag den 28. november 2009
Bulgarian press review, November 27, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, November 27 (BTA)
Under the heading "Bozhkov, State Clash Head On over Gambling," "Dnevnik" writes that the conclusive increase of the tax on gambling elicited a stormy reaction from businessman Vassil Bozhkov, who lashed out against Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and ex-prime minister Ivan Kostov. On Thursday Parliament unanimously approved a flat 15 per cent tax rate for all games of chance. So far the earnings from toto and lotto and from bets on sporting events: the state totalizator, LottoChance of the Eurobet operator (controlled by Bozhkov) and the Eurofootball bookmaker (in which Bozhkov is a shareholder) were taxed 10 per cent, and the rate for the rest was 12 per cent, the daily explains.
"An unbalanced finance minister and a father of corruption commit genocide," Bozhkov told Pro.bg, quoted by "24 Chassa," referring to Djankov and Kostov, respectively. "Just imagine how self-important a person should be to confront Parliament, which is the sovereign of state power," Kostov commented to "24 Chassa." "How far you must have lost track of your own significance to confront a unanimously voting Parliament," he adds.
"Bulgarians take a negative view of gambling, but only of the type in which they do not bet," "24 Chassa" writes, interpreting the results of an Alpha Research survey according to which 43 per cent of the respondents do not gamble while 57 per cent mostly play the totalizator, lotteries and media games. "Totalizator and lottery players do not perceive them as gambling," Alpha Research owner Stanislav Stoyanov explains. To regular betters, real gambling is "shady", an "amusement for rich people with lots of money" (49.7 per cent). The figures are also reproduced on "Novinar's" front page.
* * *
"The richest government ministers - lawfully - are Vezhdi Rashidov [of Culture] and Rosen Plevneliev [of Regional Development and Public Works]," "Troud" writes in its top story. "The Bulgarian National Audit Office made public the financial interests disclosure statements of senior public officials, which reveal that the Minister of Culture holds 1,953,000 leva in cash and on bank deposit and owns numerous properties. Construction Minister Rosen Plevneliev owns five houses and a deposit of 189,000 leva, and expects to receive 1 million euro from companies he has left," the paper writes. According to "24 Chassa," the richest Cabinet members include Finance Minister
Simeon Djankov, who declared a house in Washington, D.C., acquired for 2.15 million leva in 2001. Djankov has contracted a loan of 540,000 US dollars, and he and his wife hold on deposit 43,820 leva and 242,000 dollars. "Djankov Repays USD 540,000 Loan," reads a front-page headline in "Standart News." Prime Minister Boyko Borissov notifed the National Audit Office that there is no change in his financial interests. As Mayor of Sofia, in 2008 he declared land parcels in Bankya and Dragalevtsi and 125,000 leva on deposit," "24 Chassa" says.
Movement for Rights and Freedoms Ahmed Dogan disclosed 366,590 leva income from non-economic activity for 2008, "Standart News" reports. According to the daily, Dogan owns a single immovable property: a yard plot of 1,374 ha with a brickwork building.
* * *
"Troud" has interviewed Simeon Djankov's father. Dencho Djankov, 76, a former power engineer at the Kremikovtzi Iron and Steel Works, lives in Razgrad and has not seen his son since 1987. Djankov Sr. attributes the estrangement to the then strained relations with his former wife and his mother-in-law.
"168 Chassa" writes that in 2007 Stoyan Sariiski, a boyfriend of Boyko Borissov's daughter, held participating interests in two companies jointly with the PM's cohabitee, banker Tsvetelina Borislavova. Interviewed for "Standart News," Borislavova, who chairs the Supervisory Board of the EIBank, says: "We rolled back loans to safeguard the business community." "Instead of waiting for foreign investments, we must open our plants," she argues.
* * *
"24 Chassa" reports on its front page that proposed amendments to the Civil Aviation Act provide that the President, the Prime Minister and the Chair of the National Assembly pay the expenditures on the government aircraft. So far this spending was part of the Transport Ministry budget, but if the aircraft was reserved by a minister of head of an agency, the expenditures were for the account of the respective central-government department. "Let the Administration of the President, the National Assembly and the Government have budgets for flights and do their reckoning. When they run out of money, they will not fly," Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov commented to the daily.
"We have no financial resources for a guarantee fund in agriculture," Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov says in an interview for "Telegraf."
Mladen Chervenyakov of the Bulgarian Socialist Part told a "24 Chassa" interviewer that the ouster of Emilia Maslarova as chair of the National Assembly Labour and Social Policy Committee is a "legal absurdity." "More than 200 persons have been dismissed from the central-government departments by an identical method: 'punitive panels' are formed, which review all files of civil servants and at the end of the day present the victim with two documents: a letter of resignation or an order of dismissal for breach of discipline," Chervenyakov says.
* * *
Four aspirants contest the office of chairman of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS), vacated by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha: former ministers Nikolay Vassilev and Hristina Hristova, former MEP Biliana Raeva, and financier Iliya Lingorski, "Troud" reports. "I don't know who wants to be NMSS leader but I do know that the NMSS cannot exist without the king," former NMSS MP Andrei Batashov told "24 Chassa."
ECONOMY
A signed comment in "Troud" says that after leaving central Sofia without electricity for two hours on Wednesday evening, CEZ did not apologize but even had the cheek to announce on Thursday that it will double the fee for reconnection to the network: from 19 to 40 leva within three days and from 40 to 80 leva within the same day. The author argues that the company applies a double standard: if a public subscriber does not pay its bill, it is not disconnected, while the ordinary citizen is cut off.
"The crisis is over, but the depression will be even worse and will last between four and six years," financial expert Emil Harsev says in a "Troud" interview.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Nine inmates of the Sofia Prison carry the HIV virus. They are not hospitalized but are in the general population because they have not developed the disease, "Troud" found on site, dismissing rumours of an AIDS epidemic with dozens of infected in the correctional facility. "The prisoners are accommodated between 4 and 10 per cell with a shared lavatory. We respect the rule of confidentiality and do not disclose the identities of the HIV positive. I myself do not know who they are," Sofia Prison Deputy Director Tsvetan Tsvetkov says. "Because of another European rule, the prison management test for AIDS only those of the newly committed prisoners who volunteer," the paper writes.
"Eight hundred policemen guard 1,300 trains and 720 stations," Transport Police Chief Vassil Kostadinov says in an interview for "Troud." "Of some 1,000 thefts reported, we have detected 54 per cent," he notes. "That was the statistics until early 2009, but this is no longer the case as the disastrous reform of the Interior Ministry then made 300 Transport Police officers redundant," he adds. "The structure of the Transport Police was disrupted then, all 46 investigating police officers were taken away and scattered to regional directorates and all sorts of other places." "Now, when a theft, a beating, a murder is committed on some train with 200-300 and more passengers, the train stops and waits for an investigating police officer we have called from some precinct police department, to conduct an inspection," Kostadinov notes.
Reserve General Todor Boyadjiev has contributed an article to "Troud" under the heading "18 Years since the Execution of Bulgaria's Scientific Intelligence."
"The Traffic Police will not seize driving licences for speeding, but fines for all violations will soar," "Telegraf" writes on its front page, referring to amendments to the Road Traffic Act that are being drafted by MPs.
* * *
The full definite article should be scrapped from Standard Bulgarian because the rule for its use is artificial and its usage is strongly shaken by the new expressions used on the Internet and in the media, linguists of 14 universities discussed in Plovdiv, according to "Monitor."
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 – November 27, 2009
· Bulgarian Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva, whose nomination as International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner was announced on November 27 2009, has welcomed getting a job linked to EU foreign policy. Zheleva told Bulgarian media that she was flattered and pleased by the appointment, announced along with the rest of the candidate commissioners by European Commission President Jose Barroso in Brussels. Zheleva, who became Foreign Minister in July 2009, said that she was glad that Bulgaria through its representative would have a role in building a common European foreign policy.
· Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has accepted the resignation of Deputy Foreign Minster Krassimir Kostov, a Government media statement said on November 27 2009. According to the media statement, Kostov had requested to be relieved of this post for personal reasons, related to his membership of the communist-era State Security services. Two days earlier, the commission on the opening of the archives of the former communist State Security police had reported that three members of the current Government had worked for the State Security.
Sofia, November 27 (BTA)
Under the heading "Bozhkov, State Clash Head On over Gambling," "Dnevnik" writes that the conclusive increase of the tax on gambling elicited a stormy reaction from businessman Vassil Bozhkov, who lashed out against Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and ex-prime minister Ivan Kostov. On Thursday Parliament unanimously approved a flat 15 per cent tax rate for all games of chance. So far the earnings from toto and lotto and from bets on sporting events: the state totalizator, LottoChance of the Eurobet operator (controlled by Bozhkov) and the Eurofootball bookmaker (in which Bozhkov is a shareholder) were taxed 10 per cent, and the rate for the rest was 12 per cent, the daily explains.
"An unbalanced finance minister and a father of corruption commit genocide," Bozhkov told Pro.bg, quoted by "24 Chassa," referring to Djankov and Kostov, respectively. "Just imagine how self-important a person should be to confront Parliament, which is the sovereign of state power," Kostov commented to "24 Chassa." "How far you must have lost track of your own significance to confront a unanimously voting Parliament," he adds.
"Bulgarians take a negative view of gambling, but only of the type in which they do not bet," "24 Chassa" writes, interpreting the results of an Alpha Research survey according to which 43 per cent of the respondents do not gamble while 57 per cent mostly play the totalizator, lotteries and media games. "Totalizator and lottery players do not perceive them as gambling," Alpha Research owner Stanislav Stoyanov explains. To regular betters, real gambling is "shady", an "amusement for rich people with lots of money" (49.7 per cent). The figures are also reproduced on "Novinar's" front page.
* * *
"The richest government ministers - lawfully - are Vezhdi Rashidov [of Culture] and Rosen Plevneliev [of Regional Development and Public Works]," "Troud" writes in its top story. "The Bulgarian National Audit Office made public the financial interests disclosure statements of senior public officials, which reveal that the Minister of Culture holds 1,953,000 leva in cash and on bank deposit and owns numerous properties. Construction Minister Rosen Plevneliev owns five houses and a deposit of 189,000 leva, and expects to receive 1 million euro from companies he has left," the paper writes. According to "24 Chassa," the richest Cabinet members include Finance Minister
Simeon Djankov, who declared a house in Washington, D.C., acquired for 2.15 million leva in 2001. Djankov has contracted a loan of 540,000 US dollars, and he and his wife hold on deposit 43,820 leva and 242,000 dollars. "Djankov Repays USD 540,000 Loan," reads a front-page headline in "Standart News." Prime Minister Boyko Borissov notifed the National Audit Office that there is no change in his financial interests. As Mayor of Sofia, in 2008 he declared land parcels in Bankya and Dragalevtsi and 125,000 leva on deposit," "24 Chassa" says.
Movement for Rights and Freedoms Ahmed Dogan disclosed 366,590 leva income from non-economic activity for 2008, "Standart News" reports. According to the daily, Dogan owns a single immovable property: a yard plot of 1,374 ha with a brickwork building.
* * *
"Troud" has interviewed Simeon Djankov's father. Dencho Djankov, 76, a former power engineer at the Kremikovtzi Iron and Steel Works, lives in Razgrad and has not seen his son since 1987. Djankov Sr. attributes the estrangement to the then strained relations with his former wife and his mother-in-law.
"168 Chassa" writes that in 2007 Stoyan Sariiski, a boyfriend of Boyko Borissov's daughter, held participating interests in two companies jointly with the PM's cohabitee, banker Tsvetelina Borislavova. Interviewed for "Standart News," Borislavova, who chairs the Supervisory Board of the EIBank, says: "We rolled back loans to safeguard the business community." "Instead of waiting for foreign investments, we must open our plants," she argues.
* * *
"24 Chassa" reports on its front page that proposed amendments to the Civil Aviation Act provide that the President, the Prime Minister and the Chair of the National Assembly pay the expenditures on the government aircraft. So far this spending was part of the Transport Ministry budget, but if the aircraft was reserved by a minister of head of an agency, the expenditures were for the account of the respective central-government department. "Let the Administration of the President, the National Assembly and the Government have budgets for flights and do their reckoning. When they run out of money, they will not fly," Transport Minister Aleksandar Tsvetkov commented to the daily.
"We have no financial resources for a guarantee fund in agriculture," Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov says in an interview for "Telegraf."
Mladen Chervenyakov of the Bulgarian Socialist Part told a "24 Chassa" interviewer that the ouster of Emilia Maslarova as chair of the National Assembly Labour and Social Policy Committee is a "legal absurdity." "More than 200 persons have been dismissed from the central-government departments by an identical method: 'punitive panels' are formed, which review all files of civil servants and at the end of the day present the victim with two documents: a letter of resignation or an order of dismissal for breach of discipline," Chervenyakov says.
* * *
Four aspirants contest the office of chairman of the National Movement for Surge and Stability (NMSS), vacated by Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha: former ministers Nikolay Vassilev and Hristina Hristova, former MEP Biliana Raeva, and financier Iliya Lingorski, "Troud" reports. "I don't know who wants to be NMSS leader but I do know that the NMSS cannot exist without the king," former NMSS MP Andrei Batashov told "24 Chassa."
ECONOMY
A signed comment in "Troud" says that after leaving central Sofia without electricity for two hours on Wednesday evening, CEZ did not apologize but even had the cheek to announce on Thursday that it will double the fee for reconnection to the network: from 19 to 40 leva within three days and from 40 to 80 leva within the same day. The author argues that the company applies a double standard: if a public subscriber does not pay its bill, it is not disconnected, while the ordinary citizen is cut off.
"The crisis is over, but the depression will be even worse and will last between four and six years," financial expert Emil Harsev says in a "Troud" interview.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Nine inmates of the Sofia Prison carry the HIV virus. They are not hospitalized but are in the general population because they have not developed the disease, "Troud" found on site, dismissing rumours of an AIDS epidemic with dozens of infected in the correctional facility. "The prisoners are accommodated between 4 and 10 per cell with a shared lavatory. We respect the rule of confidentiality and do not disclose the identities of the HIV positive. I myself do not know who they are," Sofia Prison Deputy Director Tsvetan Tsvetkov says. "Because of another European rule, the prison management test for AIDS only those of the newly committed prisoners who volunteer," the paper writes.
"Eight hundred policemen guard 1,300 trains and 720 stations," Transport Police Chief Vassil Kostadinov says in an interview for "Troud." "Of some 1,000 thefts reported, we have detected 54 per cent," he notes. "That was the statistics until early 2009, but this is no longer the case as the disastrous reform of the Interior Ministry then made 300 Transport Police officers redundant," he adds. "The structure of the Transport Police was disrupted then, all 46 investigating police officers were taken away and scattered to regional directorates and all sorts of other places." "Now, when a theft, a beating, a murder is committed on some train with 200-300 and more passengers, the train stops and waits for an investigating police officer we have called from some precinct police department, to conduct an inspection," Kostadinov notes.
Reserve General Todor Boyadjiev has contributed an article to "Troud" under the heading "18 Years since the Execution of Bulgaria's Scientific Intelligence."
"The Traffic Police will not seize driving licences for speeding, but fines for all violations will soar," "Telegraf" writes on its front page, referring to amendments to the Road Traffic Act that are being drafted by MPs.
* * *
The full definite article should be scrapped from Standard Bulgarian because the rule for its use is artificial and its usage is strongly shaken by the new expressions used on the Internet and in the media, linguists of 14 universities discussed in Plovdiv, according to "Monitor."
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 – November 27, 2009
· Bulgarian Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva, whose nomination as International Co-operation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner was announced on November 27 2009, has welcomed getting a job linked to EU foreign policy. Zheleva told Bulgarian media that she was flattered and pleased by the appointment, announced along with the rest of the candidate commissioners by European Commission President Jose Barroso in Brussels. Zheleva, who became Foreign Minister in July 2009, said that she was glad that Bulgaria through its representative would have a role in building a common European foreign policy.
· Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has accepted the resignation of Deputy Foreign Minster Krassimir Kostov, a Government media statement said on November 27 2009. According to the media statement, Kostov had requested to be relieved of this post for personal reasons, related to his membership of the communist-era State Security services. Two days earlier, the commission on the opening of the archives of the former communist State Security police had reported that three members of the current Government had worked for the State Security.
torsdag den 26. november 2009
Bulgarian press review, November 26, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, November 26 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Sega" leads with the replacement of Emilia Maslarova MP of the Socialists' Coalition for Bulgaria from the position of leader of the parliamentary labour and social committee. The unprecedented decision was based on ethical considerations and was made at an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee.
Maslarova recently waived her immunity as an MP so as not to obstruct an investigation into the award of a detrimental contract for an overpriced refurbishment of a social services centre in the southern town of Stara Zagora.
***
"Troud" ("GERB Splits Over Loan-from-a-Friend Provision") writes that for a second time in the past week MPs of GERB reject a legislative proposal by the government of Boyko Borissov. Parliament Wednesday turned down a government-sponsored bill that was meant to bring to light loans between friends. During the vote, GERB split into 41 voting "for" and 40 abstaining. The tax authorities were lobbying hard to introduce such a provision in the law, in a bid to end the practice of people using the loan-from-a-friend excuse for suspicious income.
***
"Standard News" ("Military Cut Off from [Cheap] Apartments") leads with the news that military people will no longer be able to purchase housing from the Defence Ministry housing stock which they have been using. Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov is quoted as saying that the measure was called for by the depleted housing stock.
Now the military had an option to purchase an apartment at preferential prices after living in it for 15 years.
***
"Troud" carries an interview with former Education Minister Daniel Vulchev ("A Chance to Blow up the Socialist-Balkan Comfort"). Vulchev says that for the second time in the past 20 years Bulgaria is in a situation where the status quo is a mess and it doesn't know what to do. "I call 'status quo' this socialist-Balkan soil which is generously enriched with the manure of the police/olygarchs and where normal plants can hardly survive," he says. He goes on to say that this status quo was first shaken in 2001 when Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha came to win the general elections, and now is the second time, when the elections were won by Boyko Borissov. "It is a unique situation in terms of opportunity for reforms. Now it is all a question of competence and will."
***
"Sega" carries a comment on the upcoming congress of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). "Long years MRF representatives were saying that the party was not based on ethnicity because many in its ranks, including the leadership, were ethnic Bulgarians. A week before the party's new congress, it is clear that this Bulgarization [...] has been poorly done and short-lived. The truth is that the ethnic Bulgarians in MRF - or at least most of them - did not join this party out of love for the Liberal values or even less out of fondness for the Bulgarian ethnic model. While the Movement was on power, the financial portions were generous. The question now is whether [MRF leader Ahmed] Dogan has something to keep the Bulgarians in MRF or they are free to go now that the party is no longer among the power-holders."
ECONOMY
"Borissov's Visit to Parliament Turns Tax Laws Upside Down" is a headline in "Sega" which writes that important revisions in tax laws and the position of the majority on these took dramatic turns on Wednesday. Under what seems to be the Prime Minister's last word, the tax on gambling will be hiked to 15 per cent from the effective 10 per cent and will remain unchanged for rakia (the traditional Bulgarian stiff drink), and young married couples will continue to get a tax relief if they pay a mortgage for an only home, the paper says. These were agreed upon by the Prime Minister, the Blue Coalition, Ataka and Order, Lawfulness, Justice at a half-hour meeting in Parliament.
"Cheers to the Government" headlines a comment in "Standard News" saying that the Prime Minister was faced with the classical choice: to charge or not to charge the millions of drinking people in Bulgaria and risk undermining his own image as a man of the people. "The chaos in Parliament and the change of decisions every other hour leavs an impression that the left hand knows not what the right hand is doing. The decisions of the majority are unpredictable and often guided by an elusive emotion. The only way to have some clarity is for the Prime Minister to appear and show the way out. To preclude any shocks during the second-reading debates of the national budget [for next year], it is best for Boyko Borissov to move in Parliament for a couple of days and personally moderate the budget's adoption."
***
"Sega" ("State Starts Paying up to Businesses in December") reports that millions of leva due under contracts with private companies and forgotten by the ministries will start to be paid up from December. The government has set itself the task to be done with this by the end of February and is ready to send letters to banks urging them to be more relenting to businesses which have troubles repaying their loans, Prime Minister Borissov said after the government's weekly meeting Wednesday. He denied suggestions that the government is delaying payments to businesses for the sole purpose of ending the year with a balanced budget.
***
In a "24 Chassa" interview, Centre for Economic Development President Georgi Prohaski says the important thing is to hold out in the coming half-year. Continued stability of the financial system and a budget without a sizeable deficit and without serious external financial support will be seen as indications of stability and a lower risk, which will bring back the capital flows, says Prohaski. This is why the coming six months is so important and companies should use this time to restructure and rethink their business.
***
"Klassa" reports that the receipts from excise duty on cigarettes have contracted by 316 million leva. It quotes Customs Agency chief Vanyo Tanov as saying that the increased excise duty in early 2009 has not resulted in higher revenue. The painful conclusion comes on the backdrop of an upcoming further increase of cigarettes from the beginning of 2010, says the story.
***
"Sega" writes that patients, the State, the Health Insurance Fund and hospitals will most probably be paying higher prices for medicines which are fully or partially reimbursable. This increase will result from revisions in an ordinance on the registration of medicine prices.
***
"Monitor" reports of an upcoming increase of the rates for legal services due to a decision to charge 20 per cent VAT for such services which Parliament adopted on Wednesday. Previously, legal services were exempt from VAT but the European Commission warned Bulgaria that the VAT directive was bring violated. .
***
"Agriculture Minister Crossed Out 1.5 Mln. Virtual Cows" headlines a front-page story in "Novinar". The said non-existent cows were dropped from the information system of the National Veterinary Service. Farmers get their national co-payments per head of registered livestock and they are known to have sometimes overreported the number of animals they keep in order to get more money, says the story.
BULGARIA - EU
In a "Sega" interview, MEP Nadezhda Neinski (European People's Party) says that Europe "is following closely the marriage of convenience between GERB and Ataka". "Ataka is not a party which gets Europe's sympathy for the simple reason that nationalistic parties, especially in the Balkans are not viewed favourably. Such formations in the EP didn't participate in the talks for the election of President and Foreign Minister of the EU. To put it bluntly, nobody considers them seriously and relies on their support. It is mindboggling how the GERB government relies on unconditional support from Ataka and remains cautious in respect of support from the Blue Coalition which includes two EPP-affiliated parties. [...] At this stage public confidence secures Brussels' support for the government," Neinski 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 – November 26, 2009
· MPs failed to adopt the increase of excise duty on spirits and beer while voting the amendments to the Excise Duty and Tax Warehouses Act. The proposal was excise of the ethyl alcohol to be increased from BGN 1100 to BGN 1250 per 1 hectoliter pure alcohol, and the excise duty on the ethyl alcohol (home-made brandy) produced in small distillatory to increase from BGN 550 to BGN 625 per 1 hectoliter pure alcohol.
MPs increased excise of cigarettes on Thursday. The specific excise is increased from BGN 41 to BGN 101 per 1000 pieces and the proportional excise is raised from 23 to 40.50%. Amendments to the Excise Duty and Tax Warehouses Act provide specific excise duty not to be less than BGN 148 per 1000.
Bulgarian parliament passed 15% increase of excise duty on gambling on second reading amendments to the Corporate Income Tax Act. The proposal was passed unanimously with 149 votes.
Sofia, November 26 (BTA)
THE HOME SCENE
"Sega" leads with the replacement of Emilia Maslarova MP of the Socialists' Coalition for Bulgaria from the position of leader of the parliamentary labour and social committee. The unprecedented decision was based on ethical considerations and was made at an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary committee.
Maslarova recently waived her immunity as an MP so as not to obstruct an investigation into the award of a detrimental contract for an overpriced refurbishment of a social services centre in the southern town of Stara Zagora.
***
"Troud" ("GERB Splits Over Loan-from-a-Friend Provision") writes that for a second time in the past week MPs of GERB reject a legislative proposal by the government of Boyko Borissov. Parliament Wednesday turned down a government-sponsored bill that was meant to bring to light loans between friends. During the vote, GERB split into 41 voting "for" and 40 abstaining. The tax authorities were lobbying hard to introduce such a provision in the law, in a bid to end the practice of people using the loan-from-a-friend excuse for suspicious income.
***
"Standard News" ("Military Cut Off from [Cheap] Apartments") leads with the news that military people will no longer be able to purchase housing from the Defence Ministry housing stock which they have been using. Defence Minister Nickolay Mladenov is quoted as saying that the measure was called for by the depleted housing stock.
Now the military had an option to purchase an apartment at preferential prices after living in it for 15 years.
***
"Troud" carries an interview with former Education Minister Daniel Vulchev ("A Chance to Blow up the Socialist-Balkan Comfort"). Vulchev says that for the second time in the past 20 years Bulgaria is in a situation where the status quo is a mess and it doesn't know what to do. "I call 'status quo' this socialist-Balkan soil which is generously enriched with the manure of the police/olygarchs and where normal plants can hardly survive," he says. He goes on to say that this status quo was first shaken in 2001 when Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha came to win the general elections, and now is the second time, when the elections were won by Boyko Borissov. "It is a unique situation in terms of opportunity for reforms. Now it is all a question of competence and will."
***
"Sega" carries a comment on the upcoming congress of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF). "Long years MRF representatives were saying that the party was not based on ethnicity because many in its ranks, including the leadership, were ethnic Bulgarians. A week before the party's new congress, it is clear that this Bulgarization [...] has been poorly done and short-lived. The truth is that the ethnic Bulgarians in MRF - or at least most of them - did not join this party out of love for the Liberal values or even less out of fondness for the Bulgarian ethnic model. While the Movement was on power, the financial portions were generous. The question now is whether [MRF leader Ahmed] Dogan has something to keep the Bulgarians in MRF or they are free to go now that the party is no longer among the power-holders."
ECONOMY
"Borissov's Visit to Parliament Turns Tax Laws Upside Down" is a headline in "Sega" which writes that important revisions in tax laws and the position of the majority on these took dramatic turns on Wednesday. Under what seems to be the Prime Minister's last word, the tax on gambling will be hiked to 15 per cent from the effective 10 per cent and will remain unchanged for rakia (the traditional Bulgarian stiff drink), and young married couples will continue to get a tax relief if they pay a mortgage for an only home, the paper says. These were agreed upon by the Prime Minister, the Blue Coalition, Ataka and Order, Lawfulness, Justice at a half-hour meeting in Parliament.
"Cheers to the Government" headlines a comment in "Standard News" saying that the Prime Minister was faced with the classical choice: to charge or not to charge the millions of drinking people in Bulgaria and risk undermining his own image as a man of the people. "The chaos in Parliament and the change of decisions every other hour leavs an impression that the left hand knows not what the right hand is doing. The decisions of the majority are unpredictable and often guided by an elusive emotion. The only way to have some clarity is for the Prime Minister to appear and show the way out. To preclude any shocks during the second-reading debates of the national budget [for next year], it is best for Boyko Borissov to move in Parliament for a couple of days and personally moderate the budget's adoption."
***
"Sega" ("State Starts Paying up to Businesses in December") reports that millions of leva due under contracts with private companies and forgotten by the ministries will start to be paid up from December. The government has set itself the task to be done with this by the end of February and is ready to send letters to banks urging them to be more relenting to businesses which have troubles repaying their loans, Prime Minister Borissov said after the government's weekly meeting Wednesday. He denied suggestions that the government is delaying payments to businesses for the sole purpose of ending the year with a balanced budget.
***
In a "24 Chassa" interview, Centre for Economic Development President Georgi Prohaski says the important thing is to hold out in the coming half-year. Continued stability of the financial system and a budget without a sizeable deficit and without serious external financial support will be seen as indications of stability and a lower risk, which will bring back the capital flows, says Prohaski. This is why the coming six months is so important and companies should use this time to restructure and rethink their business.
***
"Klassa" reports that the receipts from excise duty on cigarettes have contracted by 316 million leva. It quotes Customs Agency chief Vanyo Tanov as saying that the increased excise duty in early 2009 has not resulted in higher revenue. The painful conclusion comes on the backdrop of an upcoming further increase of cigarettes from the beginning of 2010, says the story.
***
"Sega" writes that patients, the State, the Health Insurance Fund and hospitals will most probably be paying higher prices for medicines which are fully or partially reimbursable. This increase will result from revisions in an ordinance on the registration of medicine prices.
***
"Monitor" reports of an upcoming increase of the rates for legal services due to a decision to charge 20 per cent VAT for such services which Parliament adopted on Wednesday. Previously, legal services were exempt from VAT but the European Commission warned Bulgaria that the VAT directive was bring violated. .
***
"Agriculture Minister Crossed Out 1.5 Mln. Virtual Cows" headlines a front-page story in "Novinar". The said non-existent cows were dropped from the information system of the National Veterinary Service. Farmers get their national co-payments per head of registered livestock and they are known to have sometimes overreported the number of animals they keep in order to get more money, says the story.
BULGARIA - EU
In a "Sega" interview, MEP Nadezhda Neinski (European People's Party) says that Europe "is following closely the marriage of convenience between GERB and Ataka". "Ataka is not a party which gets Europe's sympathy for the simple reason that nationalistic parties, especially in the Balkans are not viewed favourably. Such formations in the EP didn't participate in the talks for the election of President and Foreign Minister of the EU. To put it bluntly, nobody considers them seriously and relies on their support. It is mindboggling how the GERB government relies on unconditional support from Ataka and remains cautious in respect of support from the Blue Coalition which includes two EPP-affiliated parties. [...] At this stage public confidence secures Brussels' support for the government," Neinski 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 – November 26, 2009
· MPs failed to adopt the increase of excise duty on spirits and beer while voting the amendments to the Excise Duty and Tax Warehouses Act. The proposal was excise of the ethyl alcohol to be increased from BGN 1100 to BGN 1250 per 1 hectoliter pure alcohol, and the excise duty on the ethyl alcohol (home-made brandy) produced in small distillatory to increase from BGN 550 to BGN 625 per 1 hectoliter pure alcohol.
MPs increased excise of cigarettes on Thursday. The specific excise is increased from BGN 41 to BGN 101 per 1000 pieces and the proportional excise is raised from 23 to 40.50%. Amendments to the Excise Duty and Tax Warehouses Act provide specific excise duty not to be less than BGN 148 per 1000.
Bulgarian parliament passed 15% increase of excise duty on gambling on second reading amendments to the Corporate Income Tax Act. The proposal was passed unanimously with 149 votes.
onsdag den 25. november 2009
Bulgarian press review, November 25, 2009
Press Review
Sofia, November 25 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
Nearly 80 per cent of the land of the state stock was cultivated without contracts and the municipal services did not charge rent, "Dnevnik" says. Of 300,000 hectares managed by the State, 230,000 ha were used without contracts by people not chosen by tender, the Agriculture Ministry found in a probe spanning the period from 2006 to 2008.
"24 Chassa" reports that a minister, who was a member of two previous governments, will be charged soon. He allegedly caused detriment through deals worth millions of leva. Interesting details have emerged about his negotiating habits. He had a crystal cigar ashtray on his desk, in which he used to burn notes specifying the sum a businessman or an administrative employee had to pay for a favour. At least four witnesses told anti-Mafia officers about the odd ritual, which started with a warning from the minister about bugging devices, followed by an explanation of what the supplicant had to do. Then the minister scribbled the sum that was to be paid monthly. He also used a shredding machine because he feared eavesdropping, even when he imparted important information for free.
Jenny Zhivkova, granddaughter of former communist leader Todor Zhivkov, won at least 4 million leva selling her designer clothes to state departments while the Socialists were in office, "Monitor" says.
"Ataka" reports that former energy minister Roumen Ovcharov will be the fourth member of Stanishev's cabinet who will be probed by prosecutors. The daily says Ovcharov caused over 2,000 million leva in damage to the State by signing an additional agreement with Russia's Gazprom.
"Douma" says the National Audit Office (NAO) does not comply with the Public Disclosure of Senior Public Officials' Financial Interests Act. The law stipulates that within two months of the declaration of property and incomes by the MPs, the Audit Office President must publish the statements and the names of those who failed to submit them on the NAO website. The MPs had until August 14 to declare their assets, and the deadline for the prime minister and his deputies, for the ministers and their deputies was August 27. The President had not fulfilled his obligation until November 24.
"Zemya" writes that the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) suggested an alternative budget for 2010 with an increase in revenues of 1,620 million leva and 150 million leva more in spending on agriculture.
"Troud" says the BSP is recovering and its first targets are Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and GERB floor leader Iskra Fidossova, who is also Chair of the Parliamentary Legal Committee. The two angered the opposition with their confrontational language, sharp-worded statements and mistakes made due to inexperience or due to trying too hard. They would have been forgiven these mistakes unless political confrontation had reached such heights, the daily writes.
In "Troud" Sliven Mayor Yordan Lechkov says that at least one or two more parties should be helping GERB, and calls on the Prime Minister: "I want changes, Boyko! You are the king and master of the State now. Assign responsibilities - you cannot do everything yourself."
An analysis in "Sega" says that President Purvanov is touting his plans for a new party the way Boyko Borissov carried on about GERB in the past.
In "Klassa" Vassil Tonchev, Director of the Sova Harris polling agency, says President Georgi Purvanov has potential to continue big time in politics. Tonchevalso says GERB has started assimilating Ataka, which will lose its identity in the next four years.
EDUCATION
"Troud" gives frontpage prominence to the news that a test will replace the exams in the humanities at Sofia University from the next academic year. The aim is to stop students from sitting for many exams in a row. A test will replace the traditional essays on history, geography and literature. A test for the natural sciences will be devised afterwards. "Troud" comments that this is a new blow on private schools, which have just started to pay taxes, and on teachers who declared their incomes from private tuition.
THE ECONOMY
"Pari" leads with a story headlined "Bulgartabac Sell-Off: Mission Impossible", which says the favourable window of opportunity is about to close. Bulgartabac is headed for hard times, what with the higher excise duty on tobacco products, the forthcoming bans on smoking in public places and its falling market share. The holding company will try to optimize its spending and collect the debts of its subsidiaries ahead of privatization. Its first-half share of the domestic market is 52 per cent.
According to "Klassa", Bulgaria is in 95th place among 183 countries in a PricewaterhouseCoopers report on tax systems, down from 94th place among 181 countries in the previous report. The worst result was registered for the time companies have to comply with tax requirements, where Bulgaria slipped from 167th to 172nd place. Companies spend 288 hours a year to pay VAT input tax in Bulgaria, as against 22 hours in Finland. Managers spend an average of 616 hours waiting in queues to sort out administrative issues and make 17 payments.
In "Sega"Kamen Kolev, Vice President of the Bulgarian Industrial Association says that now is the best time for e-government, which would cut expenses and make things easier for businesses and individuals.
FOREIGN POLICY
"Troud" covers President Purvanov's meeting with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias. Purvanov called for new checkpoints on the border with Greece and for faster work on the Stara Zagora - Dimitrovgrad - Komotini natural gas system interconnection.
Covering Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva's visit to the United States, "24 Chassa" says US State Secretary Hillary Clinton was satisfied with the cases against former ministers.
"Troud" quotes European Commission President Jose Barroso as saying that former Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his government had always been loyal partners of the European institutions. He was answering a question by Martin Schulz, President of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, who asked Barroso about his impressions of his work relationships with the Stanishev cabinet. Schulz also asked Barroso to comment on Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's statement that the BSP should have been banned. Barroso said that Bulgaria has proved it is a democratic country and all parties have a place in it.
Hungarian Ambassador Judith Lang says in "Novinar" that it takes 60 years to change society. She notes two peculiarities of the Bulgarian transition: its relative delay and the treatment of minorities by the Zhivkov regime.
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 – November 25, 2009
· Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, has asked the Members of Parliament to reconsider the motion for increasing the excise tax on hard liquor. Borissov himself announced this after Wednesday’s meeting of the cabinet. Last week the Budget Committee of the Bulgarian Parliament voted to increase the excise on hard liquor starting January 2010 – a measure which was going to affect the homemaking of traditional Bulgarian brandy – or “rakia”.
· Bulgaria police have arrested three men Wednesday over an acid attack on two young women in Blagoevgrad. The two students from Gotse Delchev, aged 24 and 26 respectively, were attacked outside their student’s accommodation. The incident occurred late Tuesday when a man, who was allegedly not known by the women, splashed acid into their faces.
Sofia, November 25 (BTA)
HOME SCENE
Nearly 80 per cent of the land of the state stock was cultivated without contracts and the municipal services did not charge rent, "Dnevnik" says. Of 300,000 hectares managed by the State, 230,000 ha were used without contracts by people not chosen by tender, the Agriculture Ministry found in a probe spanning the period from 2006 to 2008.
"24 Chassa" reports that a minister, who was a member of two previous governments, will be charged soon. He allegedly caused detriment through deals worth millions of leva. Interesting details have emerged about his negotiating habits. He had a crystal cigar ashtray on his desk, in which he used to burn notes specifying the sum a businessman or an administrative employee had to pay for a favour. At least four witnesses told anti-Mafia officers about the odd ritual, which started with a warning from the minister about bugging devices, followed by an explanation of what the supplicant had to do. Then the minister scribbled the sum that was to be paid monthly. He also used a shredding machine because he feared eavesdropping, even when he imparted important information for free.
Jenny Zhivkova, granddaughter of former communist leader Todor Zhivkov, won at least 4 million leva selling her designer clothes to state departments while the Socialists were in office, "Monitor" says.
"Ataka" reports that former energy minister Roumen Ovcharov will be the fourth member of Stanishev's cabinet who will be probed by prosecutors. The daily says Ovcharov caused over 2,000 million leva in damage to the State by signing an additional agreement with Russia's Gazprom.
"Douma" says the National Audit Office (NAO) does not comply with the Public Disclosure of Senior Public Officials' Financial Interests Act. The law stipulates that within two months of the declaration of property and incomes by the MPs, the Audit Office President must publish the statements and the names of those who failed to submit them on the NAO website. The MPs had until August 14 to declare their assets, and the deadline for the prime minister and his deputies, for the ministers and their deputies was August 27. The President had not fulfilled his obligation until November 24.
"Zemya" writes that the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) suggested an alternative budget for 2010 with an increase in revenues of 1,620 million leva and 150 million leva more in spending on agriculture.
"Troud" says the BSP is recovering and its first targets are Finance Minister Simeon Djankov and GERB floor leader Iskra Fidossova, who is also Chair of the Parliamentary Legal Committee. The two angered the opposition with their confrontational language, sharp-worded statements and mistakes made due to inexperience or due to trying too hard. They would have been forgiven these mistakes unless political confrontation had reached such heights, the daily writes.
In "Troud" Sliven Mayor Yordan Lechkov says that at least one or two more parties should be helping GERB, and calls on the Prime Minister: "I want changes, Boyko! You are the king and master of the State now. Assign responsibilities - you cannot do everything yourself."
An analysis in "Sega" says that President Purvanov is touting his plans for a new party the way Boyko Borissov carried on about GERB in the past.
In "Klassa" Vassil Tonchev, Director of the Sova Harris polling agency, says President Georgi Purvanov has potential to continue big time in politics. Tonchevalso says GERB has started assimilating Ataka, which will lose its identity in the next four years.
EDUCATION
"Troud" gives frontpage prominence to the news that a test will replace the exams in the humanities at Sofia University from the next academic year. The aim is to stop students from sitting for many exams in a row. A test will replace the traditional essays on history, geography and literature. A test for the natural sciences will be devised afterwards. "Troud" comments that this is a new blow on private schools, which have just started to pay taxes, and on teachers who declared their incomes from private tuition.
THE ECONOMY
"Pari" leads with a story headlined "Bulgartabac Sell-Off: Mission Impossible", which says the favourable window of opportunity is about to close. Bulgartabac is headed for hard times, what with the higher excise duty on tobacco products, the forthcoming bans on smoking in public places and its falling market share. The holding company will try to optimize its spending and collect the debts of its subsidiaries ahead of privatization. Its first-half share of the domestic market is 52 per cent.
According to "Klassa", Bulgaria is in 95th place among 183 countries in a PricewaterhouseCoopers report on tax systems, down from 94th place among 181 countries in the previous report. The worst result was registered for the time companies have to comply with tax requirements, where Bulgaria slipped from 167th to 172nd place. Companies spend 288 hours a year to pay VAT input tax in Bulgaria, as against 22 hours in Finland. Managers spend an average of 616 hours waiting in queues to sort out administrative issues and make 17 payments.
In "Sega"Kamen Kolev, Vice President of the Bulgarian Industrial Association says that now is the best time for e-government, which would cut expenses and make things easier for businesses and individuals.
FOREIGN POLICY
"Troud" covers President Purvanov's meeting with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias. Purvanov called for new checkpoints on the border with Greece and for faster work on the Stara Zagora - Dimitrovgrad - Komotini natural gas system interconnection.
Covering Foreign Minister Rumiana Jeleva's visit to the United States, "24 Chassa" says US State Secretary Hillary Clinton was satisfied with the cases against former ministers.
"Troud" quotes European Commission President Jose Barroso as saying that former Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his government had always been loyal partners of the European institutions. He was answering a question by Martin Schulz, President of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, who asked Barroso about his impressions of his work relationships with the Stanishev cabinet. Schulz also asked Barroso to comment on Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's statement that the BSP should have been banned. Barroso said that Bulgaria has proved it is a democratic country and all parties have a place in it.
Hungarian Ambassador Judith Lang says in "Novinar" that it takes 60 years to change society. She notes two peculiarities of the Bulgarian transition: its relative delay and the treatment of minorities by the Zhivkov regime.
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 – November 25, 2009
· Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov, has asked the Members of Parliament to reconsider the motion for increasing the excise tax on hard liquor. Borissov himself announced this after Wednesday’s meeting of the cabinet. Last week the Budget Committee of the Bulgarian Parliament voted to increase the excise on hard liquor starting January 2010 – a measure which was going to affect the homemaking of traditional Bulgarian brandy – or “rakia”.
· Bulgaria police have arrested three men Wednesday over an acid attack on two young women in Blagoevgrad. The two students from Gotse Delchev, aged 24 and 26 respectively, were attacked outside their student’s accommodation. The incident occurred late Tuesday when a man, who was allegedly not known by the women, splashed acid into their faces.
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