Bulgartabak fights to stabilise its share in the local market and to increase its export in anticipation of the next attempt to privatise the firm.

The difference with previous attempts was that now, the local tobacco market had already been liberalised and the company was in competition with large multinational  producers, Dnevnik daily said.
The competition quickly gained market share.

A decision was expected after the local elections, Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov had promised, according to executive director of Bulgartabak Holding Hristo Lachev.

Which of different variants would be chosen, would depend on the State. The company could be sold as a holding, individual factories could be sold, or production could be concentrated on a single cigarette producer which would remain state-owed.

Management of Bulgartabak excepted to almost double the export of tobacco for 2007 to around 4 500 tons. Main markets were the near East and Africa. Over the past couple of years the company had made attempts to enter the European market.

Bulgartabak's experience showed that the conditions Bulgaria imposed on its competitors were times more liberal than those in EU member states, Lachev said. At the moment Bulgartabak exported to Italy and Austria, while it was holding negotiations with the Czech Republic.