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| 8 Mar 2012, Issue 3338 · USD: 1.49072 EUR: 1.95583 · Sofia: min 1°, max 8° Varna: min 1°, max 5° · |
| BUSINESS POLITICS WORLD SOCIETY SPORTS FORUM |
Pro-Business Austria Lures Bulgarian Companies to Expand
 A
business-friendly climate, clear rules and excellent transport links
make Austria an appealing location for Bulgarian companies keen to
expand in Central and Western Europe.
read |
Premier Power Starts Building Solar Plant in Bulgaria's Dimitrovgrad
 US solar power developer Premier Power Renewable Energy Inc.read |
Bulgaria to Launch Building Gas Link with Romania
 Bulgarian
gas transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz is to start the
construction of a cross-border gas link with the country's northern
neighbor Romania.
read |
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BULGARIAN GOVT OFFICIALS RETURNED BONUSES WORTH OVER BGN 600 000
Bulgarian government officials have returned bonus payments amounting to BGN 603 675.62, according to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The initial deadline for the repayment of additional financial incentives received by public officials was March 02, but the term was extended to March 07. The sum is way above the forecast of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, who suggested last week that the sums transferred to the special bank account would come in at BGN 100 000 for 2010 and around BGN 200 000 for 2011. At the beginning of Wednesday's regular Cabinet session, Borisov specified that all of the extra money had been transferred to the bank account at Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), except for a sum of BGN 3000 which the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Culture was expected to give back by the end of the day. "When we came to power and when we formed a Cabinet, we stated clearly that there would be no fees for board participation. However, the law provides for extra payments in a number of other forms, including from participation in commissions and funds (not from board participation, I repeat), which is why this misunderstanding happened, or should I call it a discrepancy, with what we said at the beginning and what actually happened", Borisov explained. He called on Ahmed Dogan, leader of the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) party to return the fees he received for consultation services on the Tsankov Kamak hydroelectric power plant project. "At this stage, all of the extra money received by Ministers, Deputy Ministers, District Governors, and Chiefs of Political Cabinets for 2009, 2010 and 2011 has all been returned," Borisov concluded. A detailed account of the bonuses and fees for board participation pocketed by representatives of the previous Three-Way Coalition government would be presented on Thursday, Borisov added. 
PRO-BUSINESS AUSTRIA LURES BULGARIAN COMPANIES TO EXPAND A business-friendly climate, clear rules and excellent transport links make Austria an appealing location for Bulgarian companies keen to expand in Central and Western Europe. This is the conclusion that business representatives from Austria and Bulgaria agreed upon at a Sofia forum, organized jointly by the Bulgarian Industrial Association (BIA), the Austrian Business Agency (ABA) and Austria's Embassy on Wednesday. "If you want to start business in Austria, we, the Austrian Business Agency, can give you support in setting up a company, obtaining work permits and business licenses, consulting on incentives and site identification. And we will do so at no cost to you," Peter Loschl, consultant CEE at ABA, told the forum participants. Attractive corporate tax rate and group taxation are particularly business-friendly measures benefiting international companies, according to Thomas Haneder from TPA Horwath Tax Consulting. Companies operating in Austria are only subject to a unified corporate tax of 25% and nothing else. Taxes commonly levied in other countries, such as the trade tax or wealth tax, do not exist in Austria. "I am aware it is difficult to impress Bulgarians, whose flat rate stands at 10%. Yet you should know Austria's taxation offers more possibilities for tax reductions," Haneder told the forum participants. He stressed that companies in Austria can take advantage of the 10% "research premium" for R&D expenditures as well as contract research. The tax credit is given even in years of losses. "Group taxation is another major advantage of Austria's taxation system, since taxable profits or losses of the group members are added to those of the parent company," the Austrian expert pointed out. "Now is the right time to launch an IPO," Beatrix Schlaffer from the Vienna Stock Exchange said as she presented the potential for success of listed companies. "The beginning of 2012 saw the first signs of improvement in market sentiment, but this must consolidate during the year. On this assumption careful optimism is justified," she added. Schlaffer, key account manager IPO, stressed that the Vienna Stock Exchange is not too large and this contributes to the companies' success. "Even medium-sized companies receive attention – from the media and analysts." Bulgarian companies often find it difficult to set foot in Austria due to the strong presence of clusters, high taxes, limited access to crediting and labor market restrictions. But when they manage to do so, it is really worth it. Oberösterreichische Biodiesel GmbH, a biodiesel factory located in the Port of Enns (Austria), which has been operating for a year already under Bulgarian management, proves that. In July 2010 the plant was purchased by the Bulgarian company Bulmarket DM, which owns and operates another biodiesel plant located in Bulgaria, near the town of Ruse, on the Danube. "There are a number of advantages for a Bulgarian company to do business in Austria – very well organized, competence and cooperative administration, great location for expansion, perfect infrastructure and liberal legislation, to name a few," Hristo Tonchev, Oberösterreichische Biodiesel General Manager, shared at the forum. But he also had a word of caution for the Bulgarian businessmen getting ready to step on Austria's market. "Be prepared for high labor costs, uncompromising clients and expensive consultancy fees. You will find these a far cry from what you have become used to here, in Bulgaria," warned he. BULGARIA'S DRASTIC EGG PRICES WON'T FALL - AG MINISTER Bulgaria's egg prices that skyrocketed over the course of some ten day will not immediately fall, according to the country's Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov. However, the Minister reckons that the prices will not be increased further. "Many egg dealers received calls yesterday from egg producers, who told them that prices will be kept as they are and will not be falling. Producers told me that they will try to decrease the prices," Naydenov recapitulated on Wednesday after he met with representatives of retail chains. The Minister plans to meet with egg producers one more time this week. He revealed that he plans to speak with his Polish counterpart and consider the possibility of increasing the exports of Polish eggs to Bulgaria in order to normalize the market. Egg prices in Bulgaria doubled in the course of the last ten days, exceeding EUR 0.25 per egg at some places. The average salary in Bulgaria is approximately EUR 370. If a cartel agreement among egg producers is proven, the financing intended to compensate producers for complying with EU requirements on laying hens' welfare will be stopped, Naydenov warned on Tuesday. BULGARIA TO LAUNCH BUILDING GAS LINK WITH ROMANIA Bulgarian gas transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz is to start the construction of a cross-border gas link with the country's northern neighbor Romania. The company has already ordered technical equipment for the construction of the interconnector, according to LiveBiz.com. The gas interconnector, which will cross the river Danube at Ruse/Giurgiu, is being developed jointly by Bulgartransgaz and its Romanian counterpart Transgaz. Bulgaria's gas link with Romania is in the most advanced stage of development as compared to the country's gas links with Greece, Turkey and Serbia. Bulgaria moved to link its natural gas grid to that of its neighbors after the January 2009 gas war between Russia and Ukraine, which cut off the Russian gas supplies to Bulgaria for full three weeks leaving it without natural gas in the middle of the winter. The gas crisis of 2009 exposed Bulgaria's almost 100% dependence on Russian natural gas. In February 2011, the European Council decided that each EU member state should have at least two sources of natural gas and electricity by 2014 in order to avoid a repetition of the Russian-Ukrainian gas crisis. PREMIER POWER STARTS BUILDING SOLAR PLANT IN BULGARIA'S DIMITROVGRAD US solar power developer Premier Power Renewable Energy Inc. has announced it has started construction on a new 16.2-megawatt plant in the Southern Bulgarian town of Dimitrovgrad. The project is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2012. It's being built on a former coal mine in a joint venture with the engineering/design firm Plaan Czech. The project represents a more than 75% increase in the country's solar capabilities since the beginning of 2011, when installed capacity was reported at approximately 21 MW. "Our previous successes in Eastern Europe – a region few others have been able to effectively penetrate – are now enabling us to capture significant market share in Bulgaria," said Bjorn Persson, executive vice president of European operations at Premier Power, as cited by Sacramento Bee. Premier Power Renewable Energy is a solar power company providing solar panel systems for commercial, agricultural, industrial, government, utility and residential customers. ONLY WAR IN MIDDLE EAST CAN DRIVE OIL PRICES HIGHER - BULGARIA'S ENERGY MINISTER Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, has said that low fuel prices can be achieved through free competition in distribution, import, tax warehouses. "If the price of some item is way below its market value, it will simply disappear from the market," Traikov told journalists on Wednesday in Parliament. Prior to Traikov's statement, MPs voted down a proposal of nationalist party Ataka for a 6-month moratorium on wholesale prices of automotive fuels. "Technically speaking, there is no way to impose a moratorium," the Energy Minister commented. He drew attention to the fact that the current fuel prices in Bulgaria were so high that there was no reason to increase them "unless, God Forbid, a war breaks out in the Middle East". Traikov said that he received daily reports from his team of experts on fuel prices in Bulgaria as compared to fuel prices in the other EU Member States. "Provided that we have the second-lowest excise duty rate in the EU, fuel prices should also be the second-lowest – I mean fuel prices with excise duty and without VAT. Bulgaria, however, occupies third or fourth place," he specified. The Energy Minister pointed out that there was potential for price reductions but reminded that Bulgaria had been 7th or 8th one year ago, "which means that the current rates are closer to the excepted ones". Traikov expressed hopes that the cartel probe of the Commission on Protection of Competition (KZK) would bring satisfactory results. KZK acted on a tip-off from Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski for automotive fuels and from Minister Traikov about jet fuel. "We are experiencing problems with the functioning of the fuel market, there needs to be real competition. This market is plagued by competition issues," said Martin Dimitrov, Co-Chair of the right-wing Blue Coalition. He insisted that there were competition violations and abuse of dominant position on the market, which he said could be resolved by alleviating the import regime. "A few days ago, diesel prices in Bulgaria were higher than in Spain, Slovenia and Slovakia," Dimitrov added. "If we could solve the problem through a moratorium, I would support it, but I do not believe that this will work. We obviously need to achieve a more competitive environment," said Valentin Nikolov, Chair of the Parliamentary Group of center-right ruling party GERB. BULGARIA'S INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION SEES 3.6% DROP JAN 2012 Y/Y Bulgaria's working day-adjusted industrial production index decreased by 3.6% in January 2012 year on year, the country's National Statistical Institute has informed. According to the Institute's seasonally adjusted preliminary data, Bulgaria's industrial production decreased by 0.6% in January as compared to December 2011. Annual decreases were registered in the production of investment goods by 7.6%, in the production of energy by 4.2% and in the production of intermediate goods by 2.4%. Significant monthly increases of production in manufacturing were seen in the manufacture of paper and paper products (by 20.2%), in the manufacture of basic metals (by 14.4%), in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment (by 13.1%), in the manufacture of rubber and plastic products by (12.1%). 
EU YET TO START MULLING MEASURES ON BULGARIA, ROMANIA SCHENGEN ENTRY The measures set to help Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen Agreement are yet to be considered, sources from the Danish EU presidency have said, as cited by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. On March 2, it was made clear that no decision on Bulgaria and Romania's bids to enter the Schengen Agreement will be taken earlier than September. The European Council recommended that the Justice and Home Affairs Council adopt measures that would contribute to the two EU newcomers' Schengen accession. Even though the Schengen issue is included in the agenda of Thursday's Justice and Home Affairs Council, the Danish EU presidency does not expect a specific progress on the measures to be reached, since the sitting arrives too soon after last week's European Council. Bulgaria and Romania were expected to enter Schengen in the spring of 2011, but their entry was blocked by countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, who had worries that problems with organized crime and corruption might jeopardize safety in the Schengen Area. The Netherlands will continue opposing the two EU newcomers' Schengen aspirations until its sees two consecutive positive CVM reports. Both EU newcomers have been placed under the so-called EU Co-operation and Verification Mechanism in justice and home affairs, in view of perceived problems in the management of corruption and organized crime. 43% OF BULGARIA'S WOMEN PRONE TO POVERTY, SOCIAL EXCLUSION 43.3% of Bulgaria's women were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2010, the highest percentage in EU, according to Eurostat data released ahead of the International Women's Day. A total of 24.5% of all 257 million women in EU ware at risk of poverty or social exclusion, while the same risk existed for 22.3% of all men. In Bulgaria, 39.8% of all men were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The proportion of women at risk of poverty or social exclusion was higher than for men in all Member States. The largest differences between women and men were recorded in Italy (26.3% for women and 22.6% for men), Austria (18.4% and 14.7%) and Slovenia (20.1% and 16.5%), and the smallest in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary (all with differences of less than 1 percentage point). The employment rate for women aged 25 to 64 was 63.8% in the EU27 in 2010, while it was 77.5% for men, a difference of 13.7 percentage points. This difference diminishes as the education level increases. In Bulgaria, the total employment rates of women and men aged 25 to 64 were 64.6% and 71.8% respectively, a difference of just 7.2 percentage points. INMATE: EX BULGARIAN VP ASKED FOR MONEY TO GRANT PARDONS Former Bulgarian Vice President has asked USD 10 000 to grant a pardon to a felon, according to inmate H. V. who is jailed in the prison in the capital Sofia. The prisoner had alerted in a letter the temporary inquiry parliamentary committee probing now former President, Georgi Parvanov, and his Deputy Marin in their granting pardons to felons, forgiving State-owed debt and granting Bulgarian citizenship between 2002 and 2012, according to a publication of the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily. The ad-hoc committee, chaired by Yane Yanev, leader of the marginal, conservative Order, Law and Justice Party (RZS), was established despite its questionable capacity to inspect activities of the head of state, who is elected directly by the people. In the letter, H. V. claims that his father knew Marin since he was also an ex-army officer and requested to have a meeting with the VP. At this meeting, Marin had asked for USD 10 000 for Parvanov and himself. "The transfer of money can be proven by a check of bank accounts of my father. The amount was wired to a company linked to Marin," the prisoner writes. The father passed away in 2003. Meanwhile, the Chief of the Implementing Punishments Directorate, Mitko Dimitrov, told the Committee that Marin signed decrees for granting partial or full pardons to 77 convicts without them serving any jail time. 13 of them have returned to prison later for committing the same or other serious crimes. Yanev stated that he has information that the former VP had granted pardons despite the motivated refusals on the part of the Pardons Commission or of Prison Wardens. During his two terms as VP, Marin had pardoned 533 felons, some convicted for grave crimes such as murder and rape. In other developments, it also emerged that Parvanov failed to issue a decree for Marin's second term appointment, which was confirmed on February 7 in an official letter sent by the new administration of President, Rosen Plevneliev. The Supreme Administrative Court (VAS), however, gave up on its initial plan to refer the case of the missing presidential decree to the KS. VAS also ruled that there was no clash between the law and the Constitution in the case of the revoked naturalization of Konstantin Tsiganov, alleged Russian mafia thug sought by the Interpol. VAS further declared that the decrees issued by the President and the Vice President were not subject to Court control. LIBEL LAWSUIT AGAINST BULGARIA'S TOP COP TO START ON APRIL 27 The first hearing for the libel lawsuit against Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov initiated by Miroslava Todorova, a judge at the Sofia City Court (SCC) and Chair of the Bulgarian Judges Association (BJA), will be held on April 27 at the Plovdiv Regional Court. The reporting judge assigned to the case is Ekaterina Roglekova, Chair of the Criminal Division of the Plovdiv Regional Court. The proceedings were ordered relocated to the Plovdiv-based court by the Supreme Court of Cassation (VKS) due to the fact that Todorova is a judge at the Sofia City Court. Todorova filed a libel lawsuit against Tsvetanov with the Sofia Regional Court on February 06. The step was triggered by two consecutive interviews of the Interior Minister in which he accused her of incompetence and of patronizing organized crime because of the delayed presentation of the written motives to an eight-year jail sentence handed down to drug lord Vasil Manikatov. Todorova insisted that Tsvetanov had voiced untrue and defamatory allegations about her work as a judge and as BJA Chair. She cited Tsvetanov as having said "There are approaches applied in the judiciary by like-minded judges who are actually not in the service of society, we, the people who keep paying our taxes to support the judiciary, but rather in the service of organized crime" in an interview for bTV. Todorova is not seeking a monetary award and if the Interior Minister is found guilty, he will be penalized with a public reprimand and a fine of BGN 5000-15000 which will go into the state coffers. BULGARIAN SOCIALISTS: EX PRESIDENT'S AMBITION IS PROBLEMATIC Key figures from the opposition, left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party are becoming fed-up with the aggressive behavior of former Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. As soon as he left office in January, after two terms as President, Parvanov begin a battle with ex-Prime Minister and BSP leader, Sergey Stanishev, for the party helm, but demonstrates non-stop that he is the certain winner. On Wednesday, the BSP Member of the Parliament, Anton Kutev, told the Bulgarian National Radio, BNR, that from being a successful President, Parvanov in just days walked the path to becoming a problem. "I don't know if he is a problem that has a solution. No one wants to throw him out of the party, but he is becoming a problem. He is a problem because he is important for the party. We do not want to divide it between Parvanov and Stanishev; he is dividing it and it does not help us. Personally I don't have any discomfort about who the leader will be. I am not in a battle for the leadership, but in a battle for BSP," Kutev said. The MP stressed that disagreements among the Socialists only work for Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, and his ruling, center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party GERB, adding that Borisov already crushed the far-right, nationalist Ataka and the conservative Order, Law and Justice, RZS, parties and BSP would be next. "Our grandmothers do not want to be forced to choose between Stanishev and Parvanov; they want BSP. Some people do not realize the huge responsibility bestowed on them," he pointed out. On Tuesday, Stanishev stated that Parvanov's annoucement that he will run for leader of Bulgaria's Socialists might have negative effects on the party. Four people have already been nominated for the post – Parvanov, Stanishev, who is also the leader of the Party of European Socialists, PES, and BSP MPs, Korneliya Ninova, and Ivelin Nikolov, according to the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily. BULGARIAN ETHNIC TURKISH LEADER IMPRESSED BY NEW PRESIDENT The leader of the Bulgarian ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Ahmed Dogan, DPS, admitted that he had been impressed by the country's new President, Rosen Plevneliev. Dogan stated Plevneliev is entering in a role to bring change without this role being even clearly defined by the Constitution. The two met in the presidential office Wednesday within the frame of the so-called "month of political consultations." "We are talking about something extremely important here - the creation by the President of a nation-wide consensus, above any political parties, and a deep rethinking of the country's long-term priorities," the DPS leader told the media after the meeting. Dogan explained that the institution of the President should not be taken as something purely ceremonial. He appealed to the media to support Plevneliev and to the political elite to make responsible decisions, especially on top issues, still remaining unresolved during the entire Transition Period after the fall of Communism. During the meeting, the DPS leader and the country's Head of State have discussed the European Commission's strategy Europe 2020. According to Dogan, the strategy is seeking solutions for the crisis in the EU, pointing out it is Bulgaria's chance to move from the bottom of Europe to its middle. Rosen Plevneliev was inaugurated in January, after being elected president on the ticket of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB party in October, 2011. RULING PARTY MP: UNEMPLOYED BULGARIAN YOUTHS ARE MOSTLY MARGINALS Center-right ruling party GERB has termed the majority of unemployed youths in Bulgaria as "marginals". The statement of the GERB MP was made Wednesday in response to criticism from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) concerning growing unemployment in the country. "According to official statistics, a total of 10 000 young Bulgarians changed their address registration and left Bulgaria in 2010, while the actual figures are probably higher," said Dragomir Stoynev from BSP. He insisted that the number of people who had chosen to leave Bulgaria and change their address registration in 2008 was ten times smaller, or 1000 people. "This is a clear sign that the crisis hits young people worst and they no longer see a future for themselves in the country," Stoynev commented. The socialist MP claimed that youth unemployment in Bulgaria amounted to around 30%, meaning that every third young person had no future in the country and sought to make a living abroad. Heightened concerns for Bulgarian youths made the left-wing party table proposals for amendments to three laws, including an initiative for offering tax incentives to employers who grant scholarships to students and then hire them. GERB MP Irena Sokolova responded to the criticism by saying that Stoynev was manipulating figures. She noted that only 10% of the young people registered as unemployed were university graduates or PhDs. "The other people belong to marginal groups," she stressed, adding that employment support programs were being developed to remedy the situation. BULGARIA'S CHIEF PROSECUTOR WARNS AGAINST OVER-CRIMINALIZATION TENDENCY Chief Prosecutor Boris Velchev has spoken out against the persisting striving in Bulgarian lawmakers to criminalize "everything which Bulgarian society finds unpleasant". During the presentation of the fourth issue of the Legal Barometer survey on Wednesday, he suggested introducing constitutional restrictions to curb the attempts at over-criminalization in Bulgarian criminal law. "The only conclusion I can make is that it is very difficult to evaluate a penal policy where no penal policy exists," the Chief Prosecutor remarked. He insisted that Bulgaria's penal policy was one of the most consistently underestimated issues by all Bulgarian governments. The previous government had addressed the issue at the end of its term in office, Velchev added, while the current government had adopted a concept paper in the sphere which exceeded its term in office. Velchev argued that Bulgarians tended to see penal law as some sort of cure-all. "The job of a prosecutor is very modern in Bulgaria. Half the nation believes being a prosecutor belongs to their daily duties," he noted, warning that if the instinct to over-criminalize and to penalize all wrong-doing with prison terms was given free reign, Bulgaria was hardly likely to boast a sensible penal policy. The Chief Prosecutor illustrated his point with the proposal for the criminalization of selling food products past their sell-by date. "There is something deeply wrong about the instinct to send everything that is happening in Bulgaria to the prosecution," Velchecv said, reminding about the case with the "dog-spinning ritual" (trichane) which Bulgarians insisted had to be tackled by the prosecuting authority. In his Wednesday statement, the Chief Prosecutor backed the newly proposed amendment to the Penal Code barring the option of plea bargain for road killers. He attributed his support for the step to "the fact that Bulgarian society is marked by deep mistrust of the instrument of plea bargain in such cases". BULGARIAN ETHNIC TURKS LEADER: CONSULTING FEE WAS NOT BONUS The leader of the Bulgarian ethnic Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, Ahmed Dogan, refused to return his huge consultancy fee, saying it had not been a bonus. Dogan made the comment for the media Wednesday, after meeting with President, Rosen Plevneliev, within the frame of the so-called "month of political consultations." Earlier during the day, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, announced that all Bulgarian government officials have returned bonus payments per his order and called on Dogan to return the fees he received for consultation services on the Tsankov Kamak hydroelectric power plant project. "Bonuses must be given in all administrations and in any country, but according to clearly established rules. Bonuses in Bulgaria are legal and based on texts from about 50 Acts; they are traditional in the country's modern history," the DPS leader stated. He stressed that during the previous cabinet of the Three-Way Coalition, of which DPS was a member, the country experienced an economic revival, and bonuses have been low compared to that. Dogan was adamant bonuses must be given for good job performance, not to buy political loyalty. As a member of the former three-way coalition cabinet, the ethnic Turkish leader had allegedly pocketed BGN 1.5 M as a consultant of four large-scale hydroelectricity projects, funded by the state - 'Tsankov Kamak', 'Dospat', 'Gorna Arda' and 'Tundzha' Dam. The scandal erupted in May 2010 after a visit of Borisov to the site of the hydroelectric power plant 'Tsankov Kamak', where he revealed that a huge hike in the initial price has been discovered. The money for the hydro power plant "Tsankov Kamak", from where Dogan took the sky-high payment as an "expert," was paid by the state-owned National Electricity Distribution Company (NEK), left in tatters after the ruling of the previous cabinet. Dogan holds a philosophy degree and has no qualifications in civil engineering. It was announced meanwhile that one senior official had been fired for failing to return his bonus – Vladimir Stratiev, Chief of Political Cabinet of Environmental Minister, Nona Karadzhova. BULGARIAN PM DISCLOSES INFORMATION ON RETURNED BONUSES Bulgaria is anticipating information Wednesday on senior officials returning or not their bonuses for 2010 and 2011, as this is the deadline to do so. With the start of the week, Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, extended to Wednesday the deadline for ministers, their deputies, heads of political cabinets, regional governors and their deputies to return or donate all bonuses they have received. The initial deadline was March 2 (Friday), but it was extended so that these officials can also return the amounts for 2011. According to estimates of Deputy PM and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, the total for the 2 years is about BGN 200 000. Most likely the money will be used for the cure of sick children. After the cabinet's press center published the short-hand notes of the previous Council of Ministers meeting, it emerged that Borisov's Deputy and Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, will be proposing changes in the structure of the cabinet if it is established that there are senior officials, who failed to obey Borisov's order. During the meeting, the Prime Minister had explained that until Friday, the task of calculating and collecting these bonuses is assigned to Djankov, while with the start of the new week Tsvetanov will be the one to plan the said changes. "In this case, you have until Friday to deal with the "good" Djankov, otherwise on Monday the "bad" Tsvetanov will step forward," the PM had declared. The Finance Ministry was supposed to announce by the end of the workday Friday how much money had been transferred to the special account opened by Djankov for the return of the bonuses, however, such announcement was not made. Instead, at the last moment it was decided to first analyze "the action" for the return of the bonuses at the next meeting of the cabinet and disclose the results after it. In a Monday interview for the private bTV channel, Borisov's Chief of Staff, Rumyana Bachvarova, declared that all Bulgarian officials on political positions have returned the first part of the bonuses they received in 2011. The bonus scandal flared when it was revealed that senior officials are pocketing huge for Bulgarian standards bonuses while their regular wages are more than modest, and Borisov's ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB, and the opposition began exchanging mutual accusations of who has gotten what and more. In recent days, the Head of the National Health Insurance Fund, NZOK, Neli Nesheva and the CEO of the Registry Agency, Violeta Nikolova, parted with their posts after it emerged that they have received huge bonuses in the amount of BGN thousands. It was reported meanwhile that Nesheva's Deputy, Mariyana Vassileva, now temporarily in charge of NZOK, had also donated her bonus of BGN 15 000 for 2011 for charity. BULGARIA AWARDS YOUTH HELPING VILLAGERS IN HARSH WINTER The Mayor of Bulgaria's Kocherinovo municipality has awarded 22-year-old Lyuben Kastrev, who embarked on life-saving missions multiple times in February. Kastrev, helped by his horse, and risking his life, waded miles in deep snow to bring supplies to fellow villagers in a remote region of southwestern Bulgaria during the February harsh winter spell. The young man was praised for his actions and given a monetary award of BGN 300 from the municipal budget for such occasions. "I thank you for helping people in such harsh conditions, people in the most remote locations. I thank God for guarding you, because you risked your life and health to help others," the Mayor said during the ceremony. 22-year-old Lyuben Kastrev alone with the horse, in the evening, was carrying food and medicines to fellow villagers through snow drifts 1 m deep. File photo BULGARIAN SCRAP MERCHANTS RALLY TO BLOCK SOFIA A protest of companies for the purchase of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and scrap is expected to block the Bulgarian capital Sofia Wednesday. The representatives of the business insist that the State is unfairly restricting their activities and has no desire for a dialogue and solving the issues. They will present a package of measures they plan to undertake to halt a new Bill which limits facilities for the purchase of scrap only to municipalities with approved general territory plan. About 350 freight trucks will take part in the protest. Traffic is going to be impeded after 11 am, when the rally is scheduled to start, along the "Botevgradsko Shosse," and "Danail Nikolaev" boulevards and near "Stochna Gara." CANDY BARS NAMED AFTER BULGARIAN PM STIR FUROR "Boyko Borisov" candy bars sold in stores in the central Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo have caused a furor. The information was reported by the correspondent of the BGNES news agency in the city. The color of the packaging of the candy bars, named after the Prime Minister, is blue, which is the color of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party, GERB. It also boasts GERB symbols and a picture of Borisov. The candy bar costs BGN 0.32 and weighs 50 grams. According to BGNES, the manufacturer is the factory of Bulgaria's former leading international referee, and now UEFA referee observer Ichko Lozev. Lozev could not be reached for comment. Previously, the same producer launched "Hristo Stoichkov" candy bars, named after Bulgaria's top football legend. The "Boyko Borisov" candy bars were also spotted in the southern city of Haskovo. The local GERB headquarters have denied they are distributed by their activists and said they had nothing to do with the case. BULGARIAN EUROVISION SONG IMPRESSES EUROPE Foreign media, especially in countries that will participate together with Bulgaria in the semi-finals of the Eurovision song contest, have been very quick to report on Bulgaria's finalist. While in Bulgaria there are still heated debates if "Love Unlimited" performed by Roma pop folk singer, Sofi Marinova, was the right choice and some cast suspicions the vote has been cooked, the news about her win had been spreading across Europe. Marinova was chosen a week ago by the viewers of the Bulgarian National Television and will become the first ever pop folk singer to represent the country in Baku on May 24 in the second semi-final in which 19 countries will take part – they are the only ones that can vote for the Bulgarian song. Of them, 10 will go to the final on May 26. Neighboring Turkey has been especially active in promoting "Love Unlimited," where about 6 million people have listen to it. Reports about Marinova's selection were aired during prime time on the most popular Turkish TV channels – Show TV, ATV, NTV, CNN Turk, TRT 1 and TRT News. The press, with top newspapers such as Hurriet, Milliyet and Posta with a total circulation of 3 million copies, label the song a gesture towards Turkey and write that Marinova is a "Roma Pearl" with an amazing voice all while being critical to the country's own song which is in English. Marinova performs the song in Bulgarian. The news about her victory has also been reported in Spain, Lituania, Greece, and Azerbaijan, among others. On March 3, Bulgaria's Liberation Day and National Holiday, the Spanish TV aired a video message from Sofi. BNT further informs that online reactions have been impressive and the video has been seen over 100 000 times. CHICAGO HOSTS 1ST MOST BEAUTIFUL BULGARIAN LADY IN US PAGEANT The Most Beautiful Bulgarian Woman in America Pageant "Miss Bulgarka 2012" is going to be held in May in Chicago. The news was reported by EuroChicago.com, the free portal in Bulgarian, ranked number one in America by Google and Yahoo, while the initiative belongs to the Bulgarian Women Club in New York. The goal is to bring Bulgarian community together, to prove its strong presence in America and to support Bulgarian culture and beauty. The Miss Bulgarka 2012 intends to provide personal and professional opportunities for young women to promote their voices in the Bulgarian community. Miss Bulgarka 2012 will present a chance for the Bulgarian women to express their viewpoints, talents, accomplishments and to show their radiant and intelligent beauty to the world, the Club's official site informs. To become Miss Bulgarka 2012, a contestant must represent her community or have an active part within Bulgarian Community in the state or town they live in, be between the ages of 21 and 35, be a Bulgarian citizen or having Bulgarian heritage, and have a permanent address in America. The winner will be crowned with a tiara made in Dubai by local jewelers, studded with Swarovski crystals. She will also receive an automobile as a prize. The tiara was provided with the help of star Bulgarian actress, Anya Pencheva, who will be a member of the jury. Other Bulgarian beauties such as Ms. Maryland Teen USA, Stephanie Chervenkov, and Ms. Utah 2009, Laura Chukanov, who claimed fourth position in the Miss USA 2009 pageant, will also be guests of the event. The "Miss Bulgarka 2012" pageant and the after party will be held in the Bulgarian-owned Enigma night club in Chicago. Bulgarian TV channel Canal 3 will film the event. Eurochicago is the official media partner. Ladies interested in receiving more information about becoming a contestant and in submitting applications with an April 2012 deadline can write to: borianapavlova@hotmail.com The process will select 20 finalists, who will be invited to participate in the Gala Contest Event to held at the end of May as part of the celebration of 24th of May – the Day of Slavic Script and Culture. An estimated 100 000 Bulgarians live in Chicago, which makes it the city with the largest Bulgarian population outside Bulgaria. BULGARIAN BERBATOV IS 21ST CENTURY'S 9TH BEST GOALGETTER Manchester United's Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is ninth in the World Goalgetter of the 21st Century current ranking of the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS). The World Goalgetter of the 21st Century is determined by adding the goals scored annually in all full "A" international games, Olympic final tournament, FIFA Club World Cup, continental club competitions of UEFA, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF, AFC, CAF and OFC, continental Super Cup matches of the six confederations and the official matches between the topical continental club champions, which take place among the direction of the continental confederations. Berbatov shares the 9th place with Andriy Svevchenko. The list is topped by Didier Drogba of Cote-d'Ivoire - 92 goals, followed by Miroslav Klose of Germany - 88, Ruud Van Nistelrooij of the Netherlands - 87, Thierry Henry of France - 85, Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon - 84 goals, David Villa of Spain - 80, Raul of Spain - 75, Amado of Angola -74. The list is expected to change yearly as more goals are scored by those at the forefront of football right now. FATE OF BRAZIL-JAILED BULGARIAN CHAMP KNOWN IN 40 DAYS The verdict of Bulgarian Olympic weightlifting champion Galabin Boevski is going to be known in 40 days, it emerged during the first hearing of the trial against him in Brazil. The hearing on charges of illegal drugs trafficking began at 8 pm EET on Tuesday. The judge interrogated two witnesses – one for the defense - a female employee from the hotel where Boevski was accommodated with his daughter and one for the prosecution - a federal police officer, the private TV channel bTV informs. Boevski also took the witness stand and reiterated his claims of innocence, stressing that there cannot be a mix between drugs and sports. According to his Brazilian lawyer, the verdict is expected after over a month, which is the normal deadline when the case is tried by one, not two judges, as usual. Boevski, allegedly recruited as a mule to smuggle cocaine from Brazil to Western Europe, faces 15 years in jail if convicted of drug charges. He was arrested on October 24th for possession of 9 kg of cocaine at the Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The drug was found hidden in special secret compartments inside his suitcase. He was first sent to a temporary prison facility and a week later – to a special jail for foreigners. The Brazilian attorney is stunned, according to Bulgarian press, because currently not a single evidence in the case can be found. The said suitcase had been broken to pieces to the extend no one can see even their label thus no one can prove Boevski's claim that he had purchased them from a local store. "The situation is indeed strange. I cannot believe that this is the way to hold a case in any country," Boevski's Bulgarian lawyer, Ivaylo Dermendzhiev, says. Unlike other Bulgarians held in Brazil on similar charges, the weightlifter fervently claims innocence. At the end of 2011, the Director of Bulgaria's Main Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime, GDBOP, Stanimir Florov, made a surprising revelation, saying the cocaine which was carried by Boevski, was intended to be distributed in Bulgaria. According to operational information of the Interior Ministry, Boevski was supposed to be paid between EUR 250 000 and 300 000 for the delivery and was checked by airport security over the fact all Bulgarians are listed in the column "risk passengers" in Brazil, said Florov. On December 20, a Brazilian judge ruled to keep the former champion in jail and rejected the defense request to let his client spend Christmas under house arrest. Another request for release under house arrest was denied at the end of February. The defense is determined to press for Boevski's extradition and eventual trial in Bulgaria, citing the International Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which the two countries have signed and which has supremacy over state laws. The lawyer's statement clashes with the opinion of Bulgarian senior officials, who have ruled out the extradition of Galabin Boevski to his home country, saying there is no prisoner transfer agreement between Bulgaria and Brazil. The 36-year-old Boevski won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 152-pound category. He was banned for eight years by the International Weightlifting Federation for doping in 2004. He owns a chain of modern fitness facilities in the capital Sofia and has a number of other businesses. BULGARIAN ATM FRAUD SUSPECT UNDER EAW EXTRADITED TO ITALY 46-year-old Stefan Klenovski, who has a European Arrest Warrant issued against him by Italian authorities on suspicions of participating in a crime ring practicing ATM scams, has been extradited. Pursuant to a decision of the Sofia City Court, Klenovski was handed to the competent Italian authorities at Sofia Airport on Tuesday and was taken on board an airplane to Italy. 46-year-old Klenovski was arrested on January 27 in a shopping mall in downtown Sofia. The arrest was accompanied by accusations of police brutality, which Valeri Yordanov, Chief of the Sofia Directorate of the Interior, refuted outright. CCTV footage of the arrest, however, showed the detainee being slapped in the face by a policeman. Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov admitted that the police had exceeded their powers and vowed disciplinary action. Klenovski has no criminal record in Bulgaria and his EAW concerns his alleged involvement in a crime group specialized in debit and credit card fraud and money laundering. TURKISH BUSINESSMAN FOUND DEAD IN BULGARIA The dead body of a 62-year-old Turkish businessman has been discovered near the Southwestern Bulgarian town of Gotse Delchev, local police authorities say. The dead man has been spotted by passers-by n a white minivan near the village of Borovo. Traces of violence have been found on the body, including stab wounds. Local police have started investigated the body and the abandoned minivan. The allegedly murdered businessman was living in Bulgaria and was registered in the city of Plovdiv. NORWEGIAN MASS KILLER BREIVIK CHARGED WITH TERRORISM Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik, the man who shocked the world by murdering 77 people last July, has been officially charged with committing acts of terrorism. If convicted, Breivik may face 21 years in prison, However, prosecutors have indicated they consider Breivik mentally ill and will seek involuntary commitment to psychiatric care instead. The 19-page indictment was read to the right-wing extremist in Ila prison on Wednesday. Geir Lippestad, Anders Behring Breivik's lawyer, has told the Norwegian Dagbladet that his client believes what he did was based on rational grounds and that he was sane. The 33-year-old right-wing extremist has been in custody since the 22 July attacks in Oslo and at a youth camp on the island of Utoeya, in which he shocked the world by killing 77 people, mostly teenagers. PROSECUTORS WANT 28 YEARS BEHIND BARS FOR VOJISLAV SESELJ Prosecutors in the war crimes trial of Vojislav Seselj at The Hague seek a 28-year jail term for the Serb nationalist, it has been announced.. Prosecutor Mathias Marcussen called for the sentence during closing arguments on Wednesday, BBC has informed. "His crimes deserve the punishment of the gravity they reflect, there are no mitigating circumstances," Marcussen told a three-judge bench. Seselj, 57, faces nine charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the Balkan wars of the 1990s. First transferred to the UN's detention unit on February 24, 2003, Seselj has pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial proper started in November 2007. |
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