Two state owned companies, Avtomagistrali and Technoexportstroi, will not be sold despite earlier plans.

On January 20, Regional Development Minister Asen Gagaouzov announced he sent a letter to the government and to Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov in which he proposed not to privatise the two companies, Dnvenik daily said.

The two companies would not be taken off the list of companies blocked from being privatised under the Law on privatisation and post-privatisation control, Gagaouzov told Dnevnik.

It had already been decided that Technoexportstroi would not be sold, Gagaouzov said.

Technoexportstroi was partner in two strategic projects, namely the concession for the Trakiya highway and the construction of the Bourgas - Alexandropoulis oil pipeline. According to Gagaouzov it would be better to sell the company at a later stage, when there would be concrete results from projects in which it takes part, as that would increase the value of the company.

In late 2007 government announced it would take around 30 companies off the list of companies that could not be privatised. The precise number and list of companies to be privatised was still being prepared by ministries and would be announced when it would be taken to parliament, Dnevnik said.