These are some of the top headlines in Bulgarian newspapers on September 3 2008. The Sofia Echo has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy.
Politics
- Economy experts, employers and opposition parties disapproved of the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s (BSP) decision to spent nearly 1.5 billion leva from the budget surplus on financial assistance for pensioners and people with low income, Dnevnik daily said. The general opinion was that the financial assistance would only increase inflation.
- The European Commission (EC) could refuse the state subsidies for farmers that Bulgaria was eager to pay out, Dnevnik said. The state subsidies for dairy producers should meet European regulations, an EC spokesperson said.
- Supreme Administrative Prosecution would check up on 95 municipalities for illegal licences and registration procedures for tax collection, Sega daily said.
- The BSP and the National Movement for Stability and Progress entered into an indirect discussion on use of the budget surplus, Sega said. The discussion was started only a few days before the ruling coalition’s summit on September 5, at which party leaders would decided how to use the surplus.
Social
- After five municipalities refused to store Sofia’s baled refuse, it turned that it could be transported to a foreign country, Dnevnik quoted Deputy Environment and Water Affairs Minister Chavdar Georgiev as saying. No destination was decided yet, but there were suitable facilities in Germany and Austria.
- Bulgaria could pay 120 million euro to Germany or Austria to get rid of 600 000 tons of Sofia’s baled refuse, Monitor daily said. Paying for refuse processing abroad was the final option for Bulgaria to avoid sanctions from the EC.
Economy
- The Cabinet found an extravagant way to support the weak tourist season in Bulgaria’s resorts and to win the affection of pensioners, Sega said. Between 3000 and 5000 pensioners would go on holiday on the money from the state budget.
- A yacht port worth 35 million euro would be built in the coastal town of Nessebur, Monitor said. Construction would begin in October 2008.
