Sun, Nov 22 2009
Photo: Юлия Лазарова
Meanwhile, July 2009 saw the number of visits abroad by Bulgaria increase, with a huge increase in travel to Greece, according to the National Statistics Institute
Cosmetics are the only item to register an increase while exports from Bulgaria of raw materials are among those that have decreased, the Bulgarian Industrial Association says.
The number of vacant offices in Sofia is increasing, reports say, the latest in a series of indications that Bulgaria’s real estate market is slumping.
Bulgaria's economy shrank by a real 4.8 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2009 and 4.2 per cent year-on-year for the first half of the year, the country's statistics board said in a flash estimate on August 17.
What will the future bring? Possible exchange rate and currency board scenarios in view of Bulgaria joining the euro area.
A year after the Cabinet announced its plan to help Bulgarian exports, the deficit narrowed to 1.6 billion leva in April 2009.
A 30 per cent drop of foreign investments is expected in Bulgaria in 2009 according to data from the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
Parliament eases procedure for granting state help to investors, a move that could further stimulate speculative investments in the country
The Government boasts about the Development Bank lending millions, while new figures show private lending shrinking sharply
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bulgaria will reach five to 5.5 billion euro in 2008, financial news website investor.bg quoted the head of InvestBulgaria government agencyStoyan Stalev as saying. Last year, FDI in Bulgaria was 6.11 billion euro. FDI in the first nine months of the year was 3.66 billion euro, compared to 4.7 billion in the same period of 2007, Stalev said, citing Bulgarian National Bank data.
Strong public opposition to price hikes prompted Prime Minister Boiko Borissov to axe the Finance Ministry proposal to increase the excise duty on spirits, but MPs have put it back on the agenda.
Bulgaria’s Cabinet seeks to reverse recent changes in the telecommunications sector
Kremikovtzi’s prospects for a recovery plan appear increasingly distant
Bulgarians are getting the hang of debit and credit cards, MasterCard says
The two telecoms, both set up to challenge former fixed-line state monopoly BTC, will merge operations and expect to report 20 million euro in revenue and a gross profit of five million euro in 2010.