Sat, May 26 2012
Photo: Julia Lazarova
The November 8 issue is considered particularly important as it would provide the basis for determining the long-term interest rate, which is also one of the criteria for Bulgaria's euro zone entry.
The Bulgarian banking sector recorded a 30% annual drop in their profit for the first nine months of 2010 to 476.4 million leva, with the country's five largest banks contributing 74.5 per cent.
Despite the negative trend, however, the number of local banks’ customers has started to increase in 2010, reaching 57 per cent of the total population as at the end of September against 54 per cent a year earlier.
Bulgaria's banking sector is likely to experience a reshuffle, which will mainly affect smaller financial institutions folowing suit with the restructuring of the European market caused by the financial turmoil.
The banking system saw a 0.5 per cent decline in assets to 71.03 billion leva for April to June, with bad loans reaching 9.26 billion leva, accounting for 12.6 per cent of banks' assets in the period against 11.4 per cent a quarter earlier and 6.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2009.
Meanwhile, bad loans increased at a faster pace.
Banking system in Bulgaria remains stable thanks to parent companies and central bank measures, says S&P
The annual decrease in Bulgaria’s local-currency household deposits was nearly thrice that on consumer loans in July, according to the latest data by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB).
Stimulated by vigorous economic growth in Germany, the EU also has registered growth – but in Bulgaria, the economy still seems more to be recuperating than recovering
In Bulgaria, the first half of 2010 saw households cutting spending and companies withdrawing funds from banks to prop their operations.
The interest rates on Bulgaria’s housing mortgages have increased for both lev and euro currencies in June 2010, according to the latest Bulgarian National Bank figures.
Non-performing loans to companies and households increased from 1.6 billion leva in February 2009 to 4.7 billion leva a year later, according to Bulgarian National Bank, while February 2010 saw business loans shrink for the second consecutive month.
A large amount of Greek savings have been directed to the Bulgarian economy through outflows from Greek banks to their Bulgarian subsidiaries and any implications otherwise are insulting to Greek fellow bankers, Iskrov said
The option to postpone the due date was contingent on securing 55 million euro for immediate repayment of the amounts loaned by Belgium's Dexia and Japanese bank Mizuho.
The Eurostat data agency said that unemployment reached 10.9 per cent in March, up from 10.8 per cent in February. The March figure translates to 17.4 million people unemployed in the euro zone.
Citing three separate sources familiar with the deal, Capital Daily reports that the creditors found offers submitted by three bidders unsatisfactory.
Eurobank EFG is left with a 30 per cent stake in the merged entity but has said it will exercise its put option on the remaining holding.
The narrow focus of many euro zone countries on fiscal austerity is deepening the jobs crisis and could even lead to another recession in Europe, said the Director of the ILO Institute for International Labour Studies and lead author of the report, Raymond Torres.

Kamelia Lozanova has been appointed the executive director of the Employment Agency, a position she has held ad interim since September 2011, following the resignation of her predecessor Rossitsa Stelianova. Prior to that, Lozanova was the agency's deputy executive director in charge of international projects and European programmes. She has been with the agency for more than 20 years. Lozanova has a degree in Slavonic philology from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia.

Gloria Dimitrova has been appointed executive director and member of the managing board at Uniqa Life Insurance Bulgaria. Dimitrova began her career in 1998 at the insurance supervision directorate, but moved to the private sector and worked for professional services and insurance brokerage firm Marsh&McLennan and US insurer AIG, both in Bulgaria and the Middle East. She joined Uniqa as regional director for Sofia in 2010. Dimitrova has a degree in economics from the University for National and World Economy in Sofia and a master's degree in insurance from the Business Academy in Svishtov.

Yassen Lyubenov is the new head of marketing at Bulgarian beer brewer Kamenitza. Lyubenov has 12 years of experience in marketing in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and has started his career as assistant brand manager at Kraft Foods Bulgaria. He later became brand manager at Wrigley Bulgaria, with responsibilities for Bulgaria and Macedonia. Prior to joining Kamenitza, he was senior marketing manager at Wrigley Russia, where he was in charge of brand expansion into Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. Lyubenov has a bachelor's degree in international business administration from the University of Lincoln, UK.

Bedros Kalfayan, general manager of skin care and cosmetics company Beiersdorf Bulgaria, will oversee the parent's company units in Romania and Moldova starting April 1. Following company restructuring, Beiersdorf's subsidiaries in the three countries were merged and are now one unit, part of Beiersdorf Central and Eastern Europe. Kalfayan joined Beiersdorf in 2007 as sales manager and was promoted to general manager in 2008. Prior to that, he worked for Axxon Bulgaria, Ferrero and Rubella. Kalfayan has a master's degree in industrial management from the Technical University in Sofia.

Sasha Bezuhanova has been appointed Hewlett-Packard public sector director for emerging markets, where she will oversee HP public sector activities in 63 countries, including Bulgaria. Bezuhanova will also be in charge of HP's relations with the European Union. Bezuhanova has been HP's public sector director for Central and Eastern Europe since 2008; before that she was general manager of HP Bulgaria since 1998. Bezuhanova has a master's degree in electronics from the Technical University in Sofia and has completed a managment programme at INSEAD.