Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev has rolled back the plans to set up a state-owned company that would design, build and operate golf courses in the country, Dnevnik daily reported on February 10 2008.

The proposal, passed by the Cabinet last week, was tabled by regional development minister Assen Gagaouzov and voted even though the interdepartmental working group had not agreed on it, Dnevnik daily claimed.

The Government considers golf tourism important, but it should be part of a wider strategy for the tourism sector, Stanishev was quoted as saying.

At its meeting on February 7, the Cabinet approved the proposal to set up the firm, which would be endowed with 12 plots of land near Balchik on the Black Sea coast, valued at 9.1 million leva. The land is now used by the State Agency for Forestry to breed game.