Expats

Bulgaria to Fully Enter EU Fiscal Pact - FinMin [Jan 24, 2012] Bulgaria will most probably back the whole EU fiscal pact and not just some of the texts included in it, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov has revealed, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio. It is yet to be decided whether Bulgaria will maintain an observer status like other non-eurozone EU member states, Djankov clarified after attending the meeting of the EU Economic and Financial ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Spent 50% above Estimate for 2011 Elections [Jan 10, 2012] The Bulgarian state has spent BGN 39 M for the organization of its October 2011 presidential and municipal elections, according to official accounts released by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance. This is with 50% more than the BGN 26 M estimate, used by Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov as a cost-saving argument to hold "2 in 1" elections. Minister Djankov had argued that should Bulgaria hold ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Keep Taxes Low, Slams Common EU Rates [Dec 14, 2011] Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, has assured the business sector that low taxes are to stay in Bulgaria. Djankov stressed Tuesday that Bulgaria is one of the only three EU Member States with consistent tax, fiscal and microeconomic policies, the other two being Estonia and Luxembourg. Bulgaria also has the lowest tax rates in the EU. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria abandons oil pipeline project with Russia, Greece [Dec 07, 2011] Sofia (dpa) - Bulgaria said on Wednesday it would withdraw from a joint pipeline project to carry Russian oil to Greece, citing possible accidents that could have an environmental impact and harm its tourism industry.Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said after a cabinet meeting that Russia and Greece would be informed of the decision and downplayed the possibility of them demanding that Sofia pay ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to quit pipeline project [Dec 07, 2011] Bulgaria has decided to withdraw its participation in the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project, the country?s finance minister Simeon Djankov was quoted as saying on Wednesday, formally terminating a project 15 years in the making. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria decides to drop Trans-Balkan oil pipeline project [Dec 07, 2011] The Bulgarian government has decided to give up the Russia-led Trans-Balkan oil pipeline project, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said on Wednesday. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Abandons Burgas-Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline [Dec 07, 2011] Bulgaria will terminate its participation in the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov after Wednesday's Cabinet session. The decision has been approved by the Cabinet. Bulgaria will seek a termination of the trilateral intergovernmental agreement by mutual consent and if the request is rejected, it will pull out of the oil ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Launches Bid to Quit Burgas-Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline - Report [Dec 07, 2011] Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov will reportedly submit a project envisaging Bulgaria's withdrawal from the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project on Wednesday. According to reports of the BGNES news agency, the proposal will be put up for discussion at Wednesday's session of the Council of Ministers. Bulgaria will try to terminate its participation in the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's PM Borisov Scolds EU Debtors [Nov 21, 2011] Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has scolded the heavily indebted states in the EU that have contributed to the euro zone debt crisis during a joint press conference with his Swedish counterpart Fredrik Reinfeldt. Borisov is known for stressing Bulgaria's fiscal discipline in the hands of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov as Bulgaria has the second smallest public debt in the EU after ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Podkrepa Labor Confederation Quits Tripartite Cooperation Council [Nov 18, 2011] Bulgaria's Podkrepa Labor Confederation is leaving the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation and demands the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov over his plans to increase the retirement age by a year as of January 2012. In a Friday interview for the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR), Evgeni Dushkov, Chair of Podkrepa's National Strike Committee, explained ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria FinMin:I Bet My Career on Budget 2012, Further Cuts Likely [Nov 11, 2011] Bulgaria's finance minister has fiercely defended the austerity draft budget for 2012, saying that its failure would spell the end of his term in the government. "I bet my career as a minister on this budget," Simeon Djankov told the morning broadcast of Nova TV channel on Friday. "If the government steps back from its demands for a later retirement in the interior and defense ministries and a ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's FinMin Happy with Lowered EC Economic Forecast [Nov 10, 2011] Bulgarian Finance Ministry Simeon Djankov has seen what he believes to be a major silver lining in the lower GDP growth forecast for Bulgaria announced by the EC. Bulgaria's economy is to grow by 2.3% in 2012, according to the EC Fall Economic Forecast for 2011-2013 unveiled by EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn Thursday; it is substantially lower than the 2.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria FinMin: VAT Cut Next Year Not Ruled Out [Nov 09, 2011] Bulgaria's finance minister has confirmed that the prospect of a cut in the value-added tax (VAT) rate, which now stands at 20%, is likely next year. Speaking in an interview for Trud daily Minister Simeon Djankov pointed out that to be successful tax changes of this kind have to come as a surprise. "Otherwise consumption can grind to a halt, waiting for the new VAT to come into force.... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's FinMin Mulls Upping Retirement Age [Nov 07, 2011] Now is the time to reexamine the issue with retirement age and implement reforms that would secure higher pensions. The statement was made by Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, in an interview for the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily. Djankov says he wants to increase retirement age because this is the way to bring fresh money to increase pensions and reduce the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Launch 2nd Refinery in Pleven [Oct 17, 2011] The refinery Plama in Bulgaria's northern city of Pleven is going to reopen in December 2011. The news was reported by Darik radio, citing Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, who spoke during a meeting with the company-owner which purchased the refinery last year. Plama will make mainly lubricants, while fuels will be a side production. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria predicts balanced budget for 2013 [Oct 14, 2011] (SOFIA ) - Bulgaria will achieve a balanced budget by 2013, with the deficit already dropping this year below the planned 2.5 percent, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov announced Friday. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Museum of Socialist Art Welcomes First Visitors [Sep 19, 2011] Bulgaria's Museum of Socialist Art officially opened its doors to visitors Monday. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, Culture Minister Vezhdi Rashidov, Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Defense Minister Anyu Angelov, Environment Minister Nona Karadzhova, Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria cuts 2012 growth forecast on slumping trade [Sep 19, 2011] (SOFIA ) - Finance Minister Simeon Djankov cut Bulgaria's economic growth forecast for 2012 to between 3.0 and 4.0 percent on Monday instead of 5.0 percent, saying this reflected slowing growth prospects in Bulgaria's major trade partners in the European Union. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria's Sofia Launches Museum of Socialist Art [Sep 19, 2011] Bulgaria's capital Sofia is getting ready to open Monday the Museum of Socialist Art. The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, his Deputy and Finance Minister, Simeon Djankov, Culture Minister, Vezhdi Rashidov, and the Mayor of Sofia, Yordanka Fandakova. The museum, an affiliate of the National Arts Gallery, will have on display over 150 items created during Socialist ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Committed to Euro [Sep 09, 2011] From The Wall Street Journal By Joe Parkinson SOFIA, Bulgaria?Bulgaria remains committed to adopting the euro as quickly as possible despite the crisis engulfing the bloc, Bulgarian Finance Minister Simeon Djankov said in an interview Friday, offering a rare vote of confidence in the single currency's long-term future. ... [via YahooNews] More >>