TAX FREE ZONE
Nothing changed after Bulgaria recognized Kosovo for the 90 Bulgarian firms’ businesses in Pirot free-trade zone (PFZ), PFZ managing board member Nesko Madic told Bulgarian companies from the 130 firms that journalists on March 27. Although the 2007 turnover for the majority of Bulgarian companies from the 130 firms that operate in PFZ was only 50 million euro, the PFZ as a whole recorded a turnover of 324 million euro. Apix, Balkanpharma, MM Pharma and Actavis are some of the Bulgarian firms using PFZ’s tax breaks. PFZ wants to pursue Bulgarian companies to start production activities in the zone.

BULGARIANS IN SERBIA
The Regional Chamber of Economy in Nis (RCEN) organized a Bulgarian-Serbian business meeting on March 28 in the Serbian town, attended by local and Bulgarian journalists. RCEN management said local business was willing to co-operate with Bulgarian companies. The Bulgarian investments in Serbia for the 2002/08 period amounted to 110 million euro, making it the 10th biggest investor in its northern neighbour. The top five are Norway, Germany, Greece, Austria and the Netherlands.

CLEANER AIR
Local chipboard products manufacturer Kronospan Bulgaria, based in Bourgas, announced plans to install equipment for the wet filtration of aromatic hydrocarbon and dust particles, which will cost the company five million euro. The installation, the first of its kind in South Eastern Europe, would help Kronospan meet the European Union’s gas emission standards that will go into force on January 1 2009. The 60 m filter installation stack will release only steam into the atmosphere, Dnevnik daily reported.

POWER METERS
Bulgarian firm Carat Electronics won a contract to produce power meters for Czech power utility CEZ, which owns the electricity distribution in western Bulgaria. Carat will supply CEZ with 60 000 monophase power meters, which have to be delivered by March 2009. The value of the contract is 1.8 million leva, Dnevnik daily reported on March 31.

SONY IN SOFIA
Sony Corporation opened its call centre for Central and Eastern Europe in Business Park Sofia on April 1. Twelve consultants are in charge of informing the clients about new products and promotions, and providing customer support for Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. The call centre can be contacted by phone on 07001/07001 7669 from 9am to 7pm, Sofia time, Bulgarian-language daily Dnevnik reported on March 31.