Expats

Bulgaria Set to Raise Pensions, Budget Salaries in 2013 [Feb 13, 2012] Bulgaria's government, trade unions, and business associations have agreed that retirement pensions should be raised as of January 1, 2013. On Monday, Bulgaria's so called Council for Tripartite Cooperation shook on several measures, which are supposed to bring about social improvements, including by introducing a mechanism to increase all retirement pensions by a certain percentage depending on ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Busts 8 Illegal Immigrants [Jan 01, 2012] The Bulgarian border police detained a total of eight illegal immigrants on December 31 and January 1. At approximately 1:30 pm local time on Sunday, three young men were busted near the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing point. The men, aged between 24 and 27, claimed to be Palestinian citizens and will be detained by the local authorities for 24 hours. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Unexcited Bulgaria Marks 5 Years as EU Member [Jan 01, 2012] Bulgaria and Romania are marking Sunday, January 1, 2012, five years since they joined the European Union as full member states ? a step that many across the EU still describe as premature. Bulgaria and Romania's accession meant the EU had 27 members and half a billion people, stretching as far east as the Black Sea. The two Balkan states, however, are still struggling with reforms in key ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Controversial 'Pension Reform' Kicks In [Jan 01, 2012] The minimum retirement age in Bulgaria has been increased by 4 months as of Sunday, January 1, 2012, as part of a controversial retirement reform package. The same measure will be applied on the first day of each of the upcoming several years, until the retirement age in Bulgaria reaches 65 years for men and 63 for women. Up until the new pension reform was approved in December 2011, Bulgaria's ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Eyes EU Funding for New Trains [Oct 18, 2011] Bulgaria's Transport Ministry is hoping to get EUR 300 M in EU financing for the purchase of new railway cars for the State Railroads BDZ. Transport Minister, Ivaylo Moskovski, says that on January 1, 2011, his experts will be ready to apply for funding for railway cars and engines for the 2014 ? 2020 program period, adding money for new trains could be secured as early as 2011 if some funds ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Finance Ministry to Scrap Methane Excise Hike [Oct 17, 2011] Bulgaria's Finance Ministry is mulling giving up on plans to introduce excise on methane from January 1, 2011, which is expected to up heating prices as well. The information was reported by the largest private TV channel bTV, citing Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov. The plans were for the methane price to go up on January 1 over the introduction of the excise duty.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria-Descended Dilma Roussef World's Third Most Powerful Woman [Aug 25, 2011] Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is of Bulgarian origin, is the world's third most powerful woman, according to Forbes. Rousseff, the daughter of a Bulgarian immigrant Petar Rusev (Pedro Rousseff), took office on January 1, 2011.Even though her country's economy has slowed down after the boom in the years of her predecessor, Lula da Silva, she still enjoys the support of 67%, a recent ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Debates Tougher Crack-Down on Illegal Assets [Jul 06, 2011] Bulgaria's parliament is scheduled to debate this week a long-delayed bill authorizing widespread confiscation of illegally obtained assets without a conviction. Bulgarian authorities are likely to have the right to seize unexplained wealth, worth more than BGN 150,000, without a conviction as of January 1, 2012, when the law is expected to enter into force. The Council of Europe's Venice ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Toughen Crack-Down on Illegal Assets in 2012 [Jun 19, 2011] Bulgarian authorities are likely to have the right to seize unexplained wealth, worth more than BGN 150,000, without a conviction as of January 1, 2012. This is when the long-delayed bill authorizing widespread confiscation of illegally obtained assets is expected to enter into force. The Council of Europe's Venice Commission has made this recommendation after approving the final, fifth version ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Launch Food Safety Watchdog February 2011 [Jan 04, 2011] This means a one month delay, as the agency was originally scheduled to begin operating on January 1, 2011. As Naydenov explained on Tuesday, the Bulgarian MPs have been too busy passing the Election Code amendments, which has led to a delay in the new legislation on foods, necessary in order for the agency to be launched. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Introduces 2% Tax on Insurance Premiums [Jan 01, 2011] A new law, which provides for the introduction of a 2% tax on insurance premiums and was moved by the government last year in a bid to boost revenues to the budget, enters into force on January 1. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria PM VIP Guest at Dilma Rousseff's Inauguration [Jan 01, 2011] Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will be one of the very few European leaders, who will attend the inauguration of Brazil's new President Dilma Rousseff, who is of Bulgarian origin, on January 1. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Energy Watchdog Lowers Heating Prices by 5,2% [Dec 27, 2010] Bulgaria?s State Commission for energy and Water Regulation ( DKEVR ) has approved a price reduction of 5,17% for natural gas from January 1, 2011. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Energy Watchdog to Lower Heating Prices [Dec 27, 2010] The new prices will be effective for 3 months, beginning on January 1, 2011. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Finance Ministry Proposes New Healthcare Prices [Dec 10, 2010] Bulgaria?s Finance Ministry has proposed new prices for healthcare, which are supposed to come into force from January 1, 2011. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Adopts New Retirement Requirements [Dec 09, 2010] Bulgaria's Parliament has adopted conclusively the much debated amendments to the Social Insurance Code, which will enter into force on January 1 2011. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's PM: I 'Restored Justice' in Health Insurance [Oct 08, 2010] Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria's PM, has announced that he "restored the justice" and from January 1, 2011 the health insurance contributions that Bulgarians pay would be spent only for this purpose. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Food Safety Agency to Operate from 2011 [Sep 02, 2010] Bulgaria's Food Safety Agency is scheduled to begin operating on January 1, 2011, the Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov has announced. [via YahooNews] More >>

EU: Bulgaria, Romania Must Improve Court System, Fight Corruption [Jul 20, 2010] Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union on January 1, 2007 but owing to shortcomings in justice reform and dealing with corruption the commission has kept an eye on developments through a special monitoring mechanism. [via YahooNews] More >>

(AFX UK Focus) 2010-05-26 11:15 UPDATE 1-Bulgaria set to apply for ERM-2 entry in 2011 [May 26, 2010] BUCHAREST, May 26 (Reuters) - Bulgaria plans to apply for the pre-euro ERM-2 waiting room next year, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said on Wednesday. "We can't apply for ERM-2 this year, we have to wait. But starting with January 1 of next year we are ready to move. Our intention is to apply next year," Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said but did not elaborate. In April, Bulgaria was forced ... [via YahooNews] More >>