Bulgaria's finance minister, who was initially targeting rapid accession to the euro zone, has confirmed the country is in no hurry to adopt the single currency.
"We will not make any move toward the switchover in the next two years," Simeon Djankov told reporters in Vienna on Thursday.
The statement is in line with the opinion of local analysts, who have tried to tone down the cabinet's enthusiasm for adopting rapidly the common European currency, saying it makes more sense for the...
Bulgaria has registered an increase in its foreign direct investment in January-May 2012 year-on-year, according to the latest data of the Bulgarian National Bank released on Monday.
According to the Bulgarian National Bank's preliminary data, the foreign direct investment in Bulgaria for January - May 2012 increased by EUR 473.8 M (1.2% of GDP), compared to an increase of EUR 72.2 million (0.2% of GDP) for January – May 2011.
Bulgaria's attracted Equity Capital (acquisition/disposal of...
Bulgaria's Currency Board Is Super Stable
(Sofia, Jan 12) - "The currency board functioning in Bulgaria is super-stable," the monthly analysis of Raiffeissen Bank Bulgaria reads.
The experts have calculated that at the end of November 2012 the currency board's reserves amount to 15.1 billion euro, which is an increase by 2.2 million euro from a month ago.
The board's reserves have increased by 1.9 billion euro (14.4%) year-on-year, which is a surplus of about 89% to the minimum...
Wall Street legend and highly successful international investor, author and commodities expert, Jim Rogers has said he is considering investing in Bulgaria.
Bulgaria is among the few countries, in which he is considering investing right now, since they have made the most improvement since his latest trip around the world, the billionaire, currently based in Singapore, said in an interview for Gold Radio Cafй.
He joined the broadcast for a brief discussion on his new book "Street Smarts:...
Italian companies may be attracted in privatization projects, including for tourist sites, as well as concessions agreements and modernization schemes for airports, and construction and reconstruction of road and railway infrastructure in Bulgaria, according to Minister Bozhidar Lukarski.
Speaking Tuesday at the opening of an economic forum titled “Bulgaria and Italy: Together for Achieving Growth”, Lukarski pointed out that the trade and economic cooperation between Bulgaria and Italy...
“The opportunities OP Environment provides in the previous and the new programme periods establish prerequisites for a huge volume of work on designing and construction of ecological infrastructure as well as possibilities for the state to tackle challenges,“ said Ivelina Vasileva, Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water, speaking at an annual conference themed “Strategic infrastructure and investments – Bulgaria and the Western Balkans“, FOCUS News Agency reported.
“In the...
The Romanian unit of energy company GDF Suez has submitted an application for a licence to enter the Bulgarian power market, the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC) said on Tuesday.
The company explained the timing has to do with the pick-up the market is experiencing at the moment, noting that it plans to sell electricity oversees and not in Bulgaria.
Plans call for purchasing power from Bulgarian generators and sell it on in Romania, Greece and Turkey.
In a report...
The Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) turned green on Wednesday amid a slight uptick in trading activity.
Meanwhile, global markets remained bloody red, not buying promises by both lawmakers and financiers they would do whatever is necessary to shore up economic recovery.
In Sofia, the broader BG40 index was the best performer with a 1.21% rise to 111.95 points as the others inched up by some 0.5%.
The main contributors were liquid stocks such as Synergon holding and Corporate Commercial...
Bulgaria will inquire with the European Commission whether it would be possible to provide free quotas of greenhouse gas emissions from the State reserve for new market entrants to Brikel TPP (Thermoelectric Power Plant ) in order to enable the company to continue operating. The issue was discussed at a meeting attended by Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Nona Karadjova, Minister of Environment and Water, trade unions and the businessman Hristo Kovachki...
Western Bulgaria and the energy sector are most attractive for investments, shows an analysis of InvestNet.bg – the Bulgarian investment and business network. Information activities and telecommunications are also attractive to businesses and the health care sector is next in the ranking.
A pilot study for the third quarter of 2010, shows that the investment activity in the country is unlikely to improve before the end of the year. Entrepreneurs described the high unemployment, the...
The Bulgarian Chimimport Holding group has registered a 3% growth in net profits for the first half of 2010 notwithstanding greatly decreased revenue for the period.
Chimimport has registered a 20% drop in income due to shrinking in its non-financial activities, especially in transportation, which has shrunk 14%.
In the transportation sector, Chimimport holds Bulgaria Air, Hemus Air and Air Ban.
Revenue from interest and insurance on the other hand has grown, mostly from Armeec...
Bulgartabac, Bulgaria's state tobacco company, has registered a 165.93% increase in net profit for the first half of 2010 in comparison with the same period last year.
Bulgartabac's financial statements attribute that to considerable increase in exports and optimization of costs.
Net profits for the first half of 2010 amount to BGN 7.5 M, with more than five-sixths of the production going for exports.
Exports have increased 56% in volume and about 80% in terms of revenue.
Sales for...
Bulgarian construction company Trace Group Hold unveiled double turnover and a profit of BGN 3.4 million for the first six months of the year, turning from a year-ago loss of BGN 2.3 million.
Turnover between January and June 2010 added up to BGN 93.4 million. Operating expenses surged by 87% to BGN 90.4 million. In its earnings report, the group did not specify the projects that fuelled the increase in revenue. Its most recent contracts include the Trakiya motorway section linking Stara...
German-Bulgarian company SRS-Bulgaria EOOD will plunk BGN 483.7 million in the construction of wind power plant near General Toshevo, in the east of the southeast European country.
The 60-turbine Spasovo wind farm, with a nameplate capacity of 150 MW—180 MW, will stomach BGN 6.5 million in 2010 and a further BGN 292.6 million and BGN 186 million in the following two years, respectively.
The project will create 20 jobs. Construction works are scheduled for completion in...
There is no difference in the expenses made for buying an office by a mortgage in Bulgaria and leasing it, according to non-banking financial institution Creditex, part of the Bulgarian unit of Dutch-based TBI Financial Services.
The company anticipates pick-up in the Bulgarian business property market due to changes in the ratio between selling prices and rents.
Around 16 percent of Creditex’ loan portfolio covers investment properties. While lease prices are lower than in 2008 and...
Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister, Traicho Traikov, fully backed the cabinet's plans to build a Formula 1 racing track near Sofia.
In a Wednesday interview for the TV channel Nova Televizia, Traikov stated great results are only brought by great goals, referring to the Formula 1 project.
On August 30, the Minister and the Chair of the Abu Dhabi state company Emirates Associated Business Group (EABG), Mohammed Abdul Jalil al Blouki, signed an economic cooperation memorandum providing...
The National Statistical Institute (NSI) registered inflation in the manufacturing industry of 9 % on an annual basis in July. This is the largest increase in the index since the beginning of 2009 when NSI implemented a new methodology for its calculations. The main reasons for the jump in the index are the rise of 15.1% in the extractive industry, the growth of 12.5% in manufacture and the distribution of electric and heat power, as well as the 6.9% increase in the processing industry.
For...
"I was really impressed by the speed at which Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his Government are implementing reforms. The Prime Minister of Bulgaria is trying to improve the effectiveness of the judiciary and his team is focused on achieving real and tangible results of the economic reform in the country." This is stated in a special letter of World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, to the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, reports Focus News. In the letter, the Head...
A very large Western investor has expressed interest in one of the terminals of the Port of Burgas and is willing to invest a total of ?10 bn, became clear yesterday after the meeting on the development of the ports in Varna and Burgas, Ruse and Lom. It was attended by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Deputy PM and Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Traycho Traykov, as well as by Deputy Minister of Transport Kamen Kichev, experts and MPs.
The future of...
Mr. Andronov, BNB (Bulgarian National Bank) statistics reported that bad loans had marked a dramatic jump to BGN 6.2 bn, or nearly 16% of the total volume of loans in July. What caused this increase?
- I have no idea why the figure 15.94% has been circulated. Obviously, it was calculated by some financial reporter and widely copied by other media. Indeed, if BNB monetary statistics is read properly, it proves that it allots a share of below 12% to bad loans and restructured loans pursuant to...
Bulgaria's best male tennis player Grigor Dimitrov will climb in the world's top 200 after winning the Geneva Challenger ATP Cup Sunday.
Dimitrov won the contest by beating Spainard Pablo Andujar (ranked 118) 6:2, 4:6, 6:4.
This will bring the Bulgarian player 80 points for the world ranking, bringing him to about number 190.
Beginning of this week Dimitrov was ranked 245th, which was his personal record to...
Unpaid mortgage has forced the sale of a hotel at the coastal complex Chaika, near the town of Varna, and its owners are looking for buyers, who will fork out a whopping BGN 2.5 M.
A check in the registry for public sales of the Bulgarian chamber of private enforcement agents shows that this is the most expensive property, whose sale has been prompted by unpaid mortgage.
“Alen Mak” hotel is owned by a Sofia-based company and spreads over 8474 square meters, including a pool and a bar....
Bulgaria is the only country in Europe and Middle Asia with a positive outlook of sovereign credit rating, Moody's rating agency has announced.
Moody's Investor Service published Friday the August edition of the European Sovereign Outlook, which explains the perspectives on sovereign ratings in Europe.
According to the report, Bulgaria's assessment reflects the view of the agency that the country has a potential to reach a higher level of creditworthiness on the scale of investment...
American companies are showing increased interest in various energy projects in Bulgaria and are researching their investment options, the new Bulgarian Ambassador to the USA, Elena Poptodorova told Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) in an exclusive interview.
Her Excellency, who just started her second term as Bulgaria’s Ambassador in Washington, DC, after serving at the same position in 2002-2008, has pointed out that nuclear energy, renewable energy, and shale gas extraction are being...
Investor interest in the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE) returned slowly and feebly on Thursday when the benchmark index SOFIX finished almost 1% higher at 387.18 points after six negative sessions.
The other indices also made it to positive territory, with Dnevnik 20 of the biggest and most liquid stocks gaining 0.69% to 55.36 points and the broader BG40 adding 1.4% to 110.88 points.
Growth was fuelled by state-owned tobacco monopoly Bulgartabac Holding, which rallied by almost 8%, and...
The main part of the construction of the second Danube bridge between Bulgaria and Romania will be completed by the end of 2011, the Bulgarian Minister of EU Funds has announced.
Minister Tomislav Donchev visited the construction site of the bridge in the Bulgarian city of Vidin on Thursday where he stated that only finishing things will be left for the beginning of 2012.
The 2km Danube bridge, which is a key element of a European transport corridor connecting the German city of Dresden...